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CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
1. Motivation for the study
One of the most crucial factors in keeping up with the development of society
and the need of communication in the present day is the acquisition of at least a
foreign language, especially English because English is the language of
globalization, international communication, commerce, the media and pop
culture. English is also the most widespread language on the earth (The
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2006b). English is used widely in public or private
sphere in more than 100 countries all over the world (The Columbia
Encyclopedia, 2006d). Five thousand newspapers i.e. more than half of the
newspapers published in the world are published in English (Yamaguchi, 2002
c). English learners can also update their knowledge faster and more effectively
than others in different areas such as academic, science, technology because most
of the information and knowledge in these areas are transferred in English. “Over
70% of the world‟s scientists read English (Hasman, 2007 c). “Following World
War II, the economic and cultural influence of the United States increased and
English permeated other cultures, chiefly through development to
telecommunications technology and became the lingua franca of the world”
(Crystal, 1997 a; Brutt-Griffer, 2002; Seidlhofer, 2003; McKay, 2003; Llurda,
2004; and Ha, 2005 a). In sum, the role of English language acquisition is more
and more important.
However, the process of English acquisition is not easy and ideal as the benefits
that the language brings to learners. They must make great efforts to face not
only some visible difficulties such as a large number of vocabularies, using
learned words in writing speaking effectively and remembering difficult
grammar structures as well as using it in suitable situations but also the
unexpected and unrecognizable challenge that is making errors. Although
learners try to study well, making errors during the learning process is natural
and unavoidable. This “more tolerant modern approach” is based on the fact that
errors are normal and unavoidable during the leaning process (Ancker, 2000b).
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Gass and Selinker (2001) also write, though errors are “likely to occur
repeatedly, they “are not recognized by the learner” (p.102). The fact is that
errors are natural and unavoidable, so the role of teachers to correct students‟
errors is very necessary and important.
Together with other kinds of errors, spoken errors are one of the most notable
errors that need to be effectively corrected by teachers because English learners
want to use English for communication well. First and foremost, their spoken
errors must be corrected. Furthermore, having too many spoken errors will make
communication activities unsuccessful. Therefore, when teachers can provide
students with some effective corrections for their errors, that will not only help
students find out errors and minimize them but also contribute to make students
feel confident and be able to speak English correctly time by time.
In fact, spoken error correction is necessary and useful, but the effectiveness and
helpfulness of spoken error correction completely depend on not only what
correction techniques teachers apply in teaching but also how the correction
techniques are used, whether they are appropriately used or not, and when these
correction techniques should be used. In order to know more about the reality of
teachers‟ correction ways and check whether the used ways are appropriate or
not, and suggest some useful correction techniques. Therefore, I put my attempt
to do the thesis, namely “SPOKEN ERROR CORRECTION IN THANH BINH
1 HIGH SCHOOL - A CASE STUDY”.
2. Aims of the study
The study is to observe teachers‟ ways dealing with spoken errors and compare
whether their used ways correspond with theory of error correction techniques in
methodology or not and suggest some implications and techniques for error
correction.
3. Research methods
Interviews and observations are used to collect data. Documentary analysis is
also exploited.
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The first used instrument in the study was a questionnaire for interviewing.
Interviewing questions were designed to obtain many different answers and
attitudes of teachers about spoken error correction, about the correction time,
correction techniques, and necessities of the corrections. To strengthen the reality
of the study, also at that time, five observations on five accidentally chosen
lessons were carried with five different classes in order that the collected data
were able to reflect variously spoken errors corrections with different classes and
teachers.
The data collected are grouped into themes and the compared against the theory
of correction techniques in methodology textbooks.
4. Scope of the study
This study is limited to four English teachers and 178 students at Thanh Binh 1
High School, Thanh Binh District, Dong Thap Province. The study was
implemented in this school from December 4th, 2011 to April 2012.
5. Significance of the study
This thesis may help teachers identify their used correction ways are effective
and appropriate or not, and help them find more effective ways to correct
students‟ errors. Teachers may also pay more attention to choosing what
effective techniques to correct students‟ spoken errors and choosing when and
how they should give corrections. It may not only make students minimize their
errors but also learn from their errors and be able use English language better in
communication thank to some effective and useful spoken errors correction
techniques suggested.
6. Related previous studies
Through the research process, there have been two studies related to the thesis
“SPOKEN ERROR CORRECTION IN THANH BINH 1 HIGH SCHOOL - A
CASE STUDY”.
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In the study “ CONCEPTIONS OF ORAL ERROR CORRECTION: A
CASE STUDY OF TEACHER‟S BEFIEF AND CLASSROOM” by Duong
Thi Dung, She focused on finding out teachers‟ beliefs in correcting students‟
oral errors. Moreover, the study also recognized the reality of classroom practices
of an experienced teacher regarding oral error correction. There is also
identification between teachers‟ beliefs and classroom practices with oral error
correction. The study is carried in in an Upper Secondary School in Bac Giang
Province.
The other study is “A STUDY OF ERRORS IN ENGLISH IN RELATION
TO COGNITIVE STYLE AND CEREBRAL DOMINANCE” by Ikpreet
Singh. It researched the differences in errors in relation to cognitive styles. Its
aim is to study the errors committed by students of grade XI in written English
work in vocabulary, spelling, punctuation, functional grammar and translation.
Furthermore, the study collects opinions on the possible causes of errors by the
sample from experts and practicing teachers.
7. Organization of the thesis
The study comprises five parts. The first part is the introduction, which consists
of motivation of the study, aims of the study, scope of the study, research
methods, and significance of the study, related previous studies, and organization
of the study. The second part is the content of the study, which includes three
chapters. Chapter 1 is about the literature review. In Chapter 2, methodology,
research questions, participants, used instruments and research procedure of the
study are presented. The last chapter is the findings and discussion. In this
chapter, the results found answer to the research questions followed by some
discussions. The last part of the thesis is Conclusion consisting of overview of
the study, limitation of the study, some implications and suggestions for further
study.
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CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW
1.1. Concepts of errors
Concepts of errors are complicated because of its nature. Many different
researchers have different concepts of errors which depend on their different
considerations and the aspects of language they are approaching.
Making errors seems to be natural during the process of learning and teaching
foreign language. People consider it natural thing, so it should be avoided and
dealt with. It is similar to something that is unexpectedly forgotten during the
learning process. According to Dulay et al (cited in Duong Thi Dung), he states
that “Errors are understood as the flawed side of the learner speech and writing,
those part of conversation or composition that deviate from English model of
usage assumed by educated”.
However, “An error is a linguistic form or combination of forms which in the
same context and under similar conditions of production would, in all likelihood,
not be produced by the speakers' native speakers counterparts" (Lennon, 1991).
Other concept of errors is focused on and exploited by the difference between
linguistic form or combination of forms which are produced by native speakers
and produced by foreign language learners in the same situation.
Errors are also defined as something that learners haven‟t known or learned, so
learners‟ making errors seem as a matter of course. “Error is a systematic
deviation, when a learner has not learnt something and consistently gets it
wrong.” (Norrish, 1987:7). Researcher considers errors deviant ones that appear
while people are learning a foreign language. “Errors are systematic deviations
from the norms of the language being learned.” (Cunningworth, 1987:87).
Furthermore, errors are defined as something that learners meet when they are
trying to master their foreign language. Errors have been viewed as language
learners‟ speech that deviates from the model they are trying to master (Allwright
& Bailey, 1991, cited in Hyang-Sook Park). The two definitions are (1) error is a
systematic deviation, when a learner has not learnt something and consistently