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Part E: Position Statement on Error Correction

My position statement on Error Correction on the effectiveness of error correction for
international English as a Foreign Language (EFL) writers is as follows. The EFL student whose
first language is not English such as learning English while living in their own country is
different. For instance, a Mexican person learning English in Mexico, can be theoretical in
learning it because he might be growing up in a village in Mexico. If I have my own classroom I
would find out about each of my students backgrounds, passion, and the connect English into
experience. As for the error correction for EFL students writing, Ill be dealing with each
individuals experience when giving feedback to that students writing product. This is how I
would try to predict how to use error correction that arouses questions about when, what, and
how in correcting EFL writings.
In my own classroom, it is important to create and know the learning objective of error
correction that Im targeting the most in the EFL writings. An effective learning objective will
help me to guide the selection and design of the error correction method. I need to reflect on
what is the purpose of doing error correction on my EFL students writing. Ill be focusing on the
students writing on the rhetorical structure of language using such things as grammar,
mechanics, word choice, sentence structure, tense and punctuations, and so on. The writing
assignments the EFL students will work on will be directly informed by my determined learning
objective and purpose for the assignment. Ill provide my students with a strong rich set of
criteria for error correction and that way it serves as a guidance on developing an effective
rubric. I want my students to follow the error correction rubric to do self-editing before I give
them feedback with my error correction coding strategies. This will help the students follow the
rubric to target the expectations of the specifics errors. In the article of Ferris, D. (1999),

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Tremendous variability in students ability to benefit from grammar instruction and feedback
and to learn to self-correct, and many students have made dramatic improvements in their
accuracy over the course of a semester (see Ferris, 1995a) (p.7). This will guide me as I provide
feedback and applicable grading. The importance is the grammar that I want my student to
respond to in their writing by following a detailed rubric, so I would incorporate error correction
strategy into my rubric.
According to Ferris, D. (1999), Teachers need ample opportunities for practice-with
error analyses of student texts and in providing feedback, grammatical information, and strategy
training for their students (p. 6). Ill create a strategy training for self-editing and techniques for
teaching editing skills in the classroom. First, Ill categorize the common mistakes in EFL
students writing such as repeating grammar, word choice, mechanical, and so on. Ill identify
their problems in writing errors, and Ill demonstrate grammar exercises. Secondly, Ill have my
students edit for specific error correction on their writing such as having them proofread the
paper. In the textbook of Ferris & Hedgcock, (2015) found, The first strategy involves setting
classroom tasks in which writers look at sentences or a short student text containing a variety of
language problemsuseful strategy for convincing students of the necessity of developing
editing skills is to give them a diagnostic essay assignment provide them with feedback about
their writinginformation about their weaknesses (p. 297). Students will have warm up
grammar exercises every day to help them enhance their learning of error corrections in writings.
Thirdly, Ill teach the students to peer-edit other students writing to reinforce the process of error
correction. I want to give my students the opportunity to self-edit by using the strategies theyve
learned so they can be prepared to edit their own writing and have them use the proofreading
checklist to edit their own work. According to Ferris & Hedgcock, (2015) found, One of the

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most important editing strategies that students can learn, however, involves making separate,
narrowly focused passes through texts to look for targeted error types or patternsthese error
forms should be selected from frequent, serious, and stigmatizing error types (p. 297). I want
the students to mark each error categories item as they check for it. Having the students practice
editing daily with these exercise will reinforce their self-editing skills and that will help them
become better writers in the future. It will improve their grammar and editing skills.
Ferris, D. (1999) stated, It is vitally important for teachers to commit themselves to
selective error feedback and to a strategy for building students awareness and knowledge of
their most serious and frequent grammar problems (p. 7). In my teaching method, Ill be using
more on the selective error correction therefore I will not mark every error on the students
writing and give them an opportunity to do self-editing on their own by following the error
categories chart. According to Ferris, D. (1999), Students can be successfully taught to self-edit
their own texts if they are (a) focused on the importance of editing; (b) trained to identify and
correct patterns of frequent and serious errors; and (c) given explicit teaching as needed about
the rules governing these patterns of errors (p. 5). Ill document suggestions, directional
comments, and feedback to help guide the students. Ill pay attention to the specific error
patterns that needed error correction codes that show both the location and specific errors. Along
with the selective error correction Ill be using direct or indirect techniques in correcting
students errors and see which method will progress in the students. When I read my students
assignments that has many errors, I may feel the urge to respond with error correction in a
comprehensive way. Ill be following the rubric that targets the objective of the assignment also
including the error correction treatment. Ill provide positive and constructive comments because
I want my students to be aware of their errors to help them to overcome the obstacles of errors in

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their writing. If I come across error usage on the students writing such a grammar, punctuation,
word choice, sentence structures, I will plan to use a simplistic coding scheme to help identify
the specific errors that is constantly repeated. In Truscott, J.s (1996) article, Grammar
correction on used four very different types of feedback; (a) explicit correction, indicating the
errors and the correct forms; (b) the use of a correction code to point out type and location of
errors; (c) the use of highlighting to indicate the location of errors, without any explanation; (d) a
marginal tally of the number of errors in each linewhere in the line they were located (p.5).
Ill mark and highlight or underline the errors then code them and to provide a correction in the
two paragraphs and then mark and code errors in the rest of the document. Ill use this strategy to
see if the student will respond and progress in their errors. Another method I will use is to only
mark and code the first paragraph with no correction involved and then mark the rest of the
document with no codes to see the reaction on the students perspective. Or, Ill only mark errors
with no codes, and just completely edit their paper and see if the student will respond to the
errors. Ill be doing different types of error corrections to keep progressing to see what will work
the best and Ill use the best method for my future grading. Ill have my students keep an error
log so they can keep track of their mistakes throughout the semester and look back at the
progress they made and compare the beginning and end of the semester progress. I want to teach
my EFL student to keep errors in a grid and identify the specifics and major errors that they seem
to make frequently throughout their writing.