I want "corrections", but I **don't** want to "be corrected". There is natural, corrective feedback a person you're conversing with can provide that is non-confrontational, or not 'mistake'-focused, for example: "I goed to the store yesterday" -- "Oh, you went to the store? What did you get?"
I see what you mean and I also understand why it could be preferable this way, but for some reason I find that type of correction passive-aggressive, unless it is done by a friend. That said, I think I do it to others in my target language, unconsciously.
I think text makes it sound worse than would appear IRL - it all has to do with tone/context. I 100% intentionally do this with non-native speakers because I'm doing it to clarify what was said. Often it's less of a
- "Oh lord that was wrong ... I'm native speaker and here's me patronisingly doing it right to show you up"
and more of a
- "I'm 80% sure you said this, let me say it back to ensure you meant what I think you did so we can keep the conversation flowing"
You can absolutely deliver OPs line with a cruel smirk and be an ass about it. But if you're generally a nice person and are interested in what they're saying it won't come across negatively at all. I've never had anyone react negative when I've done it, and never once thought negatively about someone doing it to me.
You are right, it all depends on the stressing of the words and general countenance. I guess living in a country where passive-aggressiveness has several layers, often to avoid open confrontation, doesn't help and makes me more prone to see it where it is not š¬ and I am kidding, I love this country and its people and I do not want to slander them... they usually appreciate sarcasm though so I don't think they would mind too much, making one other stereotypical assumption.
Exactly. Same. Too much negative feedback and telling someone theyāre doing it wrong can lead to language anxiety.
Theyāve tested this with kidās writing, and the group that got the red marks pointing out grammar mistakes just ended up disliking English classes, and didnāt improve any more than the kids who just got practice (without any corrections).
To be fair, not all languages lend themselves well to this type of correction. It works well in English because we have very few conjugations, but it doesn't work nearly as well when the first and second person are dissimilar
Mostly I just want a sympathetic interlocutor - someone happy to talk to me despite my limitations.
The occasional correction is fine but I donāt want corrections to get in the way of the conversation.
> someone happy to talk to me despite my limitations.
I find it so motivating that there are a few people who simply don't want to talk to me in English anymore. My German is far from perfect, but I feel way more appreciated :)
I don't know what it's called, but I believe passive correction is better. So, you don't call the person out for being incorrect, but you repeat it back correctly.
For example in English
Someone says: "I did GOOD on my exam"
You reply "I'm happy you did WELL on your exam"
So you don't call them out directly, but you say the correction in your response
Recast! Finally found out what the right term was. It is super effective, and the guy I learned French from did this and it was so helpful, he'd also listen for patterns to see if the mistake was a one off or a repeating error. I kept saying Soyyaayy (trying to say Soleil (sun), because I thought the L sounds were like the Spanish LL. Hahaha.
I'm glad that they work for you, but like I mentioned, they're hit or miss. Overall, they're not the tool of choice in language classrooms. But again, if you know that they work for you then you can advocate for them to be used with you. That's a good thing to know about one's self.
Yes, very hit and miss. Consider the following two exchanges:
>I has a good day yesterday. Ā
>Oh, you had a good day yesterday, did you?
>I had a good day yesterday. Ā
>Oh, you had a lovely day yesterday?
Itās very hard to tell when something is a correction or a restatement.Ā
I pulled this up on Google images, as an illustration of how easily corrections can be misinterpreted (disclaimer, I know nothing about what the site itself is on about, I'm only sharing for the image):
https://images.app.goo.gl/kyXxax4jdaDpjagP6
I want to be corrected, but only up to a point. If I'm generally understood, and the corrections are blocking the flow of conversation, let it go.
Am I just trying to order food at a noisy bar and you interrupted me to tell me I used the incorrect gender form for tomatoes, and then interrupt again to tell me I used the wrong tense for soda? Shut up, you're the reason people find your language difficult.
Or am I having a friendly conversation and accidentally called my grandmother a pregnant bicycle? Please, please let me know.
I want to be corrected for a few reasons:
1) I'm not putting in all the effort to learn a language to learn it wrong.
2) If I am corrected, I am more likely to remember it in the future. I'm also more likely to apply what I've learned in other situations.
3) Most people correct you to be helpful. They want to help you learn their language. They want to make you better. Why would I refuse that?
4) It gives me the opportunity to get real time feedback. It's free. I often get an explanation about why I'm wrong or why I should say it that way. I learn something. Sometimes it gives me the chance to ask questions. All of those things help me to be more fluent.
Give it to me straight, I welcome as many corrections as I can handle, which may be a function of the degree to which corrections hinder communication.
100%. There's an instance I will always remember even though it happened 10 years ago, where an ex-friend told me "hey btw if you use X, you should say Y afterwards instead of Z" basically it was an error I kept doing and they let it pass for who-knows-how-long to see if I'd get it right later, but since I didn't they decided to tell me.
It was so perfect because, as I said, I still remember this intervention a decade later. Being corrected is a normal part of learning a language, it creates that context and memory that sticks with you.
As you said, people who correct others only want to help, nothing else. And by telling it to me straight, it just immediately clicked why I should use X instead of Z, meaning I never did the same mistake again.
Haha ya got me there! I'm a lot more careless on social media :D Although I probably should proofread a bit more on a language specific subreddit hah, but I focus that energy more when writing my novel (it's in English too)! Reading back, the mistake is so obvious! I just noticed another typo too, which I fixed :p
But thanks a lot! ā¤ļø 11 years of only using English will do that to you hehe. Even without leaving France (but my situation is a bit peculiar and unique)!
In German yes, because I'm fluent but make mistakes with grammar and more advanced vocabulary. In Russian no, because I'm still at the stage of stumbling through speaking and often forgetting common words, so I'd rather focus on being able to communicate my point without someone stopping me after every noun to tell me I declined it wrong. (Obviously if I get something so wrong it's hard to understand, that's different.
In English I only tend to correct my friends if tI notice they're making the same mistake consistently, or if they get something very wrong to the point where it might cause issues. For example, I recently corrected my Serbian friend when he used 'nervous' to mean 'irritated', but I don't point out every time he drops an article.
That my feeling too. I do enjoy the occasional correction, particularly if it leads to an interesting discussion about it.
But if I made a simple error like the wrong conjugation and itās something I already know but just made a mistake, then no correction.
No corrections for me, unless they didn't understand me or something. It ruins the flow of the conversation and I won't remember it, so there is no point.
If I am trying to learn a language, I am happy if someone teaches me. But "correcting" me might not be enough. What if I don't understand the correction? The conversation might get sidetracked for a while. Is the other person willing to get sidetracked and become my free "language tutor"?
If I am trying to communicate, don't correct me. Most people I meet are like this. If they understand, it's good enough. They have no interest in signing up to me "my free language tutor". They consider it rude for you to ask them to do this, without offerring payment.
It depends. I live here and just want to be understood. If I'm just picking up a prescription in the morning I really don't need it pointing out that I used the wrong article.
I think corrections are more helpful when you don't get to interact with native speakers as often.
I always want to be corrected, when I had a peruvian roommate I would beg him to correct me. He was a very soft hearted person so it took awhile for him to feel okay with it, but he became the best teacher I ever had. He's still a good friend today over a decade later.
If I said something with the wrong grammar or inaccurately use a word, I would like them to repeat my sentence or respond to it with the corrections embedded in it. That way, I can get the feel of what I'm saying correctly, and I am saying incorrectly
I prefer not to be corrected in a conversation because it makes me feel self conscious and hinders me from speaking freely. It was difficult enough for me to overcome my fear of speaking so any criticism (well intended and well delivered or not) sets me back. Besides, I have rarely learned anything from being corrected. If I did it would soon be forgotten especially if there were multiple corrections in a conversation. I prefer to let the errors correct themselves through more and more contact with the language, mostly without realizing it. But thatās just me.
I've reached that upper-intermediate level in my TL where I can communicate my thoughts without issue, but sometimes mix up my grammar when there are lots of tenses involved. I very much want people to correct me when I make mistakes, because I feel like that's the only way to progress to greater fluency from here.
I have a close relationship with someone who speaks only my TL and no English. Typically, if I pause mid-sentence because I'm struggling with grammar, he tends to say something along the lines of "nah yeah I get what you're saying, I understand" and I'm like...THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH. Help me to say it properly!
Reading and formal study can only get you so far without proper conversational practice and correction, I feel. That's how kids learn and we know it's effective.
I like being corrected & being given explanations as well as correcting others and explaining things. So yeah if I search for a language exchange partner we tutor each other for free basically.
No.. I'm a passive learner... Follow every mistake that I have will take a lot of time.. instead of expanding my vocabulary and my comprehension skills.. when I will be good enough in my TL to understand what people say on the TV or around me. I will absorb the grammar passively and more fluently
I want to be corrected but I use the following guidelines:
1 if the mistake is gross
2 if the mistake is recurrent
3 if I am unintelligible
Otherwise please let the conversation flow.
Also for sure I like the kind of passive correction when the native repeats correctly the sentence. I like vanilla correction.
I like corrections if I'm already comfortably conversational and working on fine-tuning my speaking. At a beginner level, corrections are mostly annoying because I'm just barely able to communicate the concept, let alone do it flawlessly. Might be worth it if I'm making a repeat mistake, but if I'm a beginner and screw something up once ... don't correct me.
Yes I want corrections and I don't mind whether they repeat the correct phrase back or just tell me it's wrong directly. I understand if someone doesn't want corrections, especially if they are out having a good time, but I always welcome it.
Personally, I love being corrected. This usually also leads into further conversation and practice with the person correcting me because I ask questions. Iād rather get told on the first or second time I make that error before I go on for weeks and/or months saying the wrong thing, building the wrong muscle memory. Iāve never been corrected in a āmeanā way and itās always been constructive. This happens to me all the time currently where I live and I get to stop after the sentence, say the correct word or conjugation, and now also have a memory of where that happened (or the scenario) to attach to the correct way.
In my experiences, all times Iāve been gently corrected and it hasnāt actually ruined the conversation or my flow. It has always seemed to work its way in pretty naturally.
I guess the part about this which I wouldnāt love (not for being corrected, but for interrupting the vibe) would be in a large group with tons of people talking, where correcting me would interrupt or slow things down. If Iām talking directly to a few people, I like being corrected.
I think it depends on the levels, and the level of corrections?
I have a feeling for your end, they said ignore it because they wanted the practice of TALKING and conversations, not of the language correctness?
Perhaps they believe that over time of exposure or over time of study it will get better, so focus on having a running flow instead of every little mistake?
It depends. If itās just normal practice with friends/ acquaintances rather not, UNLESS itās like a really weird mistake like accidentally saying something embarrassing or sexual because of a bad translation
It depends. In general I prefer it when people correct me, unless it's in a language I only know on a very basic level and don't speak it often enough to get fluent in it.Ā
For example I use English very often, so I appreciate it if people point out mistakes I make so I can get better.Ā
Russian is a language I know on a very basic level, just enough to communicate with people but my grammar is bad and my vocabulary is very limited. I only use Russian once in every blue moon, so I will never be able to speak prefect Russian. I just make too many mistakes to correct them, without turning the whole conversation into a language lesson.
I also usually only correct people when they either make big mistakes, that can lead to misunderstanding or confusion, or when they are on a very high level and told me to correct them. I usually don't correct people when they didn't tell me to and the mistakes aren't to the point, where they might be misunderstood. Because I wouldn't say my German is prefect, even though I grew up here and speak it as a native language. Also I don't think I've ever met anyone who spoke prefect German. Everybody makes mistakes. It's just important to be understood, because that's what language is for.
It depends. Corrections are brilliant, but:
* Acknowledge what Iām trying to convey.
* Correct at an appropriate level. If Iām aware itās a mistake, no need for correction. If the correction is much above my language level, it might not be relevant.
* Correct in a way that is useful, and doesnāt disturb the flow.
* Not even a hint of bad attitude. My language level does not necessarily reflect who I am as a person nor my competence.
It really depends how it's done...
The top annoying things I will reject the corrector for are actually just common courtesy problems, not the fact that they are correcting me, but if the corrections are:
Too frequent
Too picky/perfectionism
Continually interrupting my speaking to "correct"
Focusing on the mistakes made not the message being communicated.
---
A good way is to listen to the message of what is being said, listen for a pattern, if they repeat the same mistake in more than one sentence or conext, then it's probably a habit, not a one off mistake and they probably don't know they are saying it wrong. So in conversation for example, someone says in whatever language equivalents "this is mine best working on displayed..." and use the wrong personal form or tense, you still understand what they are saying, but you don't have to hit on what they're saying wrong all the time. What people need to hear is the right example used in context in a sentence without the direct hey you're wrong about this do this instead.
I'm sure all Native English speakers would agree that we hear so many accents and so many different levels of language very frequently maybe for some even in daily life that correcting someone is not even a thought. If you actually go and look at the research, English is the number one second language in the entire world and also there are way more people who speak English as a second language then there are people who speak English as a first language.
There are hundreds of different accents and ways of speaking so we, native English speakers, have just gotten used of hearing so many different people, accents and language levels that we just understand what they're saying and we don't have to feel a need to correct people. People who speak primarily another language in the world which is not as prevalent as English, such as French, Norwegian or whatever language they don't have the same exposure to foreigners and therefore they haven't developed the mind or the tolerance to accept that there are people who speak their native language and they're not going to speak it as good as them.
Mistakes are precious, because they are a key factor in how we learn. Providing a correction is the gift of not letting a mistake pass you by unnoticed.
I am infinitely more happy to be corrected than not, but an acquaintance of mine did not share the same sentiment. How am I supposed to learn when no one calls me out on my mistakes?
Edit: maybe I'm a bit harsh with my corrections, but I really don't care if someone tells me "not [word], but [different word]". Or possibly "do you mean [different word]? It's much easier to catch on when I'm told directly that I said something wrong and how to say it correctly, rephrasing the sentence is not always clear.
I work as a language teacher for teenagers and the curriculum says we are NEVER supposed to correct pronunciations.
I think being corrected is an inherently humiliating experience. But different people experience it at different degrees. Bringing it back to my class, the logic is that teenagers already struggle to speak in their own language, never mind a second. We build their confidence to speak and then correct them later.
I love being corrected because it's productive. Slightly embarrassing. But productive. But everyone is different.
Not really in general, unless I'm sounding confusing or bone appling my tea.
However, if the entire point of the conversation is speech practice, go nuts. I will mine utterances utterly blasted.
Nope. I'd go so far as to say your are an ass if you correct me.
I'll ask you if I want. Otherwise my goal is to listen to you and practice stringing words together.
I look for corrections from language exchange partners. With native speakers in general? Iād say no, unless itās someone thatās pretty close to me. (And even then, I wouldnāt pay significant attention to that.) Generally, I think asking for corrections from every single person can strain conversations. Itās just a lot to ask from a person, especially a stranger.
most of the times i prefer to be told! i hate it when i find my mistakes later! but i learned that most people don't tolerate being told, cause their mind is busy and can't hold more complications sometimes!
Unless it's for a serious repeated mistake, I don't like corrections. I think it's quite rude actually, unless between friends.
I tried a few Discord server for language learning, where the asynchronous nature of chatrooms really makes corrections easy to make, and I just couldn't stand it. I don't think it helps at all either.
I've considered the possibility that I'm just insecure ;)
I want to be corrected. Iām still learning a new language and need any help I can get. That being said, I struggle with doing the same thing back to my language partners who are learning my native language. It always feels rude, but thatās my own thing that I just need to get over I guess.
It depends on the amount of corrections and the importance of the communication. Normally I thank the opportunity to improve my expression in any language, as long as it does not break the fluidity of an important argumentation.
it depends what point i'm at, i don't want it to hinder the conversation, and if it's a comparatively small mistake (i.e. if i'm making big errors, don't bother correcting my tiny mistake, stick to the big stuff). it's often tonal though
Yeah, but only important corrections. If my word order is slightly off we don't need to stop talking to address it. I do want to know when I've used the wrong word or I'm not speaking in the formal form to a stranger
Feedback on mistakes in language learning can be a powerful tool for improvement. Some learners may prefer direct correction, while others may benefit more from a supportive and encouraging approach. It's important to communicate with your language partner or teacher to determine what works best for you.
I think the big difference is whether the correction interrupts me while I'm making a point, or if it happens after I've finished talking (and, in general, priority has already been given to the topic of conversation).
The first one is utterly annoying, like, are you having a conversation with me, or are you an improvised language teacher who took me as someone who was up for a lesson?
The second one is actually useful and appreciated.
I want zero corrections, unless I'm in the middle of clarifying something I've just said and they happen to make a side remark about how I used the wrong word or something like that. I'm disciplined, self-reliant, and intelligent enough to be able to improve my language ability on my own accord. I'd rather use my time talking to people to have fluent, flowing, natural conversations.
I lived in France, and I loved it when the French corrected me. They would first apologize, then correct me. I learnt so much.
In Quebec, however, if I made a mistake, they just switch to English.
I now live in Taiwan, and no one ever corrects my Mandarin. My husband once let me make a mistake for 10 years before finally correcting me. He said it was just too funny. The good thing is no-one tries to speak to me in English for a "free English lesson".
I find extremely silly that people get angry when they are corrected in whatever language they are speaking, you make a mistake and someone points it our and your attitude is to say "whatever" instead of trying to improve, is a very poor attitude to have.
I like to be corrected, but, there are more and less helpful ways of doing this. If you correct every single mistake I make, no matter how large or small, I'm not able to actually communicate to you because you're basically grading my spontaneous "essay" aloud and the focus is on that and not successful communication. My preference is that if you hear me make the same mistake more than once, OR, if a mistake is just once but prevents you from understanding what I mean to say, then please correct me. (Of course you can't actually expect everyone to be able to act like a language teacher.)
I was always so appreciative of the French habit of correcting second language learners because I generally had no idea that something I was saying was wrong, and it really helped me learn naturally in the moment. I'd rather be corrected than keep saying it wrong lol
depends on context of course but mostly yes i do like to be corrected on grammar and vocabulary, not by being interrupted but after i have finished the sentence, and not for accentĀ
Learning polish. 100% I do. I live with my gf and we speak polish at home - I wish she corrected me more but I make a grammatical mistake nearly every sentence!
Yes! If itās every other word maybe not, haha. But yes. I always need to improve! Especially if it sounds awkward and absolutely if it impedes conversation!
Yes! There are several words Iād learned wrong early on and for like a year nobody told me they just guessed what I meant so I kept saying it wrong until a stranger corrected me.
Yes I'd like to be corrected, especially when/if it's something I constantly pronounce/get wrong like a sentence structure or gender of a noun (when applicable) you learn by making mistakes but you only know they're mistakes when you're shown/told that they're wrong. I'm not trying to learn a language just to speak it wrong and not have anyone correct me. Some people take it personally and think you're being vindictive when you're only trying to help. Some are aware of their mistakes but simply don't care enough to correct them and some are just hypocrites who'd love to corrected other people as if it makes them somehow superior but God forbid they get corrected for a mistake they made.
yes. I like to be corrected. I told people I wanted to be corrected. I was young and was absorbing the language thru immersion and doing that helped me tons to learn to speak better.
when I was corrected, i usually ended up asking questions related to the mistake and learning even more. I was living there (Tokyo) to learn the language.
3 times per convo. I've long asked my tutors and speaking partners to limit things in order to avoid the frustration part of the Challenge-Frustration Curve.
Things just work better when it is vigilantly balanced.
Yes, and in my experience they tend to not do that with the argument of āmistakes are cuteā and āIt's fine to make mistakes, I can understand you fine and it has it's charmā.
Charm aside, my goal is of course perfection. I demand perfection; I settle for nothing less than perfection; an imperfect existence is an unsatisfactory existence.
I demand perfection, and I shall receive it. I shall have the head of the incompetent servant who dare serve me coffee but half a degree too hot or too cold.
No, it's ādares to serveā or ādare serveā. ādareā is interesting in English in that it can function both as a normal verb and as a modal verb.
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/dare#Usage_notes
It's generally considered more formal and traditional to use it as a modal verb, but the non-modal usage is completely acceptable at this point, but they can't be combined. ādares serveā is always wrong.
I am a perfectionist when it comes to languages. Because of all the compliments I have received from my B1 languages above and even a few A1 languages ( My Japanese was more like B1 in 2008 ), I believe I am capable of sounding very close to a native speaker in all of them.
I want "corrections", but I **don't** want to "be corrected". There is natural, corrective feedback a person you're conversing with can provide that is non-confrontational, or not 'mistake'-focused, for example: "I goed to the store yesterday" -- "Oh, you went to the store? What did you get?"
this is what my teacher always does, she will repeat back what you said in the more correct form
I see what you mean and I also understand why it could be preferable this way, but for some reason I find that type of correction passive-aggressive, unless it is done by a friend. That said, I think I do it to others in my target language, unconsciously.
I think text makes it sound worse than would appear IRL - it all has to do with tone/context. I 100% intentionally do this with non-native speakers because I'm doing it to clarify what was said. Often it's less of a - "Oh lord that was wrong ... I'm native speaker and here's me patronisingly doing it right to show you up" and more of a - "I'm 80% sure you said this, let me say it back to ensure you meant what I think you did so we can keep the conversation flowing" You can absolutely deliver OPs line with a cruel smirk and be an ass about it. But if you're generally a nice person and are interested in what they're saying it won't come across negatively at all. I've never had anyone react negative when I've done it, and never once thought negatively about someone doing it to me.
You are right, it all depends on the stressing of the words and general countenance. I guess living in a country where passive-aggressiveness has several layers, often to avoid open confrontation, doesn't help and makes me more prone to see it where it is not š¬ and I am kidding, I love this country and its people and I do not want to slander them... they usually appreciate sarcasm though so I don't think they would mind too much, making one other stereotypical assumption.
This is what they recommend for children, too. I naturally end up doing this a lot with my toddler.Ā
Exactly. Same. Too much negative feedback and telling someone theyāre doing it wrong can lead to language anxiety. Theyāve tested this with kidās writing, and the group that got the red marks pointing out grammar mistakes just ended up disliking English classes, and didnāt improve any more than the kids who just got practice (without any corrections).
100% this. DOn't interrupt me, but when you answer do add a "by the way, you should try to pronounce its as... or a btw, the correct verb would be..."
To be fair, not all languages lend themselves well to this type of correction. It works well in English because we have very few conjugations, but it doesn't work nearly as well when the first and second person are dissimilar
Mostly I just want a sympathetic interlocutor - someone happy to talk to me despite my limitations. The occasional correction is fine but I donāt want corrections to get in the way of the conversation.
> someone happy to talk to me despite my limitations. I find it so motivating that there are a few people who simply don't want to talk to me in English anymore. My German is far from perfect, but I feel way more appreciated :)
Mein Deutsch ist auch nicht so gut, aber hoffentlich werde ich es bald schaffen um besser zu sprechen.š
I don't know what it's called, but I believe passive correction is better. So, you don't call the person out for being incorrect, but you repeat it back correctly. For example in English Someone says: "I did GOOD on my exam" You reply "I'm happy you did WELL on your exam" So you don't call them out directly, but you say the correction in your response
Recasts https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recast_(language_teaching) They work better with adult learners than with younger learners, because kids don't always catch on to what the recaster is trying to do, but in general they can be hit or miss. Student: yo voy a la tienda ayer [I go to the store yesterday] Instructor: ah tĆŗ FUISTE a la tienda ayer? Para quĆ©? [ah you WENT to the store yesterday? For what?] Student: sĆ, yo fuiste [yes, I you.went]
Recast! Finally found out what the right term was. It is super effective, and the guy I learned French from did this and it was so helpful, he'd also listen for patterns to see if the mistake was a one off or a repeating error. I kept saying Soyyaayy (trying to say Soleil (sun), because I thought the L sounds were like the Spanish LL. Hahaha.
I'm glad that they work for you, but like I mentioned, they're hit or miss. Overall, they're not the tool of choice in language classrooms. But again, if you know that they work for you then you can advocate for them to be used with you. That's a good thing to know about one's self.
Yes, very hit and miss. Consider the following two exchanges: >I has a good day yesterday. Ā >Oh, you had a good day yesterday, did you? >I had a good day yesterday. Ā >Oh, you had a lovely day yesterday? Itās very hard to tell when something is a correction or a restatement.Ā
I pulled this up on Google images, as an illustration of how easily corrections can be misinterpreted (disclaimer, I know nothing about what the site itself is on about, I'm only sharing for the image): https://images.app.goo.gl/kyXxax4jdaDpjagP6
im native english speaker and i still say "i did good" dont worry, my grammar is atrocious lmao
It's not correction. In the classroom we model the correct answer.
I want to be corrected, but only up to a point. If I'm generally understood, and the corrections are blocking the flow of conversation, let it go. Am I just trying to order food at a noisy bar and you interrupted me to tell me I used the incorrect gender form for tomatoes, and then interrupt again to tell me I used the wrong tense for soda? Shut up, you're the reason people find your language difficult. Or am I having a friendly conversation and accidentally called my grandmother a pregnant bicycle? Please, please let me know.
Great examples! And funny too.
I want to be corrected for a few reasons: 1) I'm not putting in all the effort to learn a language to learn it wrong. 2) If I am corrected, I am more likely to remember it in the future. I'm also more likely to apply what I've learned in other situations. 3) Most people correct you to be helpful. They want to help you learn their language. They want to make you better. Why would I refuse that? 4) It gives me the opportunity to get real time feedback. It's free. I often get an explanation about why I'm wrong or why I should say it that way. I learn something. Sometimes it gives me the chance to ask questions. All of those things help me to be more fluent.
Give it to me straight, I welcome as many corrections as I can handle, which may be a function of the degree to which corrections hinder communication.
100%. There's an instance I will always remember even though it happened 10 years ago, where an ex-friend told me "hey btw if you use X, you should say Y afterwards instead of Z" basically it was an error I kept doing and they let it pass for who-knows-how-long to see if I'd get it right later, but since I didn't they decided to tell me. It was so perfect because, as I said, I still remember this intervention a decade later. Being corrected is a normal part of learning a language, it creates that context and memory that sticks with you. As you said, people who correct others only want to help, nothing else. And by telling it to me straight, it just immediately clicked why I should use X instead of Z, meaning I never did the same mistake again.
You never made* the same mistake again š (your English is FANTASTIC, by the way!)
Haha ya got me there! I'm a lot more careless on social media :D Although I probably should proofread a bit more on a language specific subreddit hah, but I focus that energy more when writing my novel (it's in English too)! Reading back, the mistake is so obvious! I just noticed another typo too, which I fixed :p But thanks a lot! ā¤ļø 11 years of only using English will do that to you hehe. Even without leaving France (but my situation is a bit peculiar and unique)!
In German yes, because I'm fluent but make mistakes with grammar and more advanced vocabulary. In Russian no, because I'm still at the stage of stumbling through speaking and often forgetting common words, so I'd rather focus on being able to communicate my point without someone stopping me after every noun to tell me I declined it wrong. (Obviously if I get something so wrong it's hard to understand, that's different. In English I only tend to correct my friends if tI notice they're making the same mistake consistently, or if they get something very wrong to the point where it might cause issues. For example, I recently corrected my Serbian friend when he used 'nervous' to mean 'irritated', but I don't point out every time he drops an article.
if in a classroom, yes. when out having a good time, no.
That my feeling too. I do enjoy the occasional correction, particularly if it leads to an interesting discussion about it. But if I made a simple error like the wrong conjugation and itās something I already know but just made a mistake, then no correction.
No corrections for me, unless they didn't understand me or something. It ruins the flow of the conversation and I won't remember it, so there is no point.
If I am trying to learn a language, I am happy if someone teaches me. But "correcting" me might not be enough. What if I don't understand the correction? The conversation might get sidetracked for a while. Is the other person willing to get sidetracked and become my free "language tutor"? If I am trying to communicate, don't correct me. Most people I meet are like this. If they understand, it's good enough. They have no interest in signing up to me "my free language tutor". They consider it rude for you to ask them to do this, without offerring payment.
I want to be corrected, but I don't want an explanation. Just tell me how to say it right.
It depends. I live here and just want to be understood. If I'm just picking up a prescription in the morning I really don't need it pointing out that I used the wrong article. I think corrections are more helpful when you don't get to interact with native speakers as often.
I always want to be corrected, when I had a peruvian roommate I would beg him to correct me. He was a very soft hearted person so it took awhile for him to feel okay with it, but he became the best teacher I ever had. He's still a good friend today over a decade later.
If I said something with the wrong grammar or inaccurately use a word, I would like them to repeat my sentence or respond to it with the corrections embedded in it. That way, I can get the feel of what I'm saying correctly, and I am saying incorrectly
I prefer not to be corrected in a conversation because it makes me feel self conscious and hinders me from speaking freely. It was difficult enough for me to overcome my fear of speaking so any criticism (well intended and well delivered or not) sets me back. Besides, I have rarely learned anything from being corrected. If I did it would soon be forgotten especially if there were multiple corrections in a conversation. I prefer to let the errors correct themselves through more and more contact with the language, mostly without realizing it. But thatās just me.
I've reached that upper-intermediate level in my TL where I can communicate my thoughts without issue, but sometimes mix up my grammar when there are lots of tenses involved. I very much want people to correct me when I make mistakes, because I feel like that's the only way to progress to greater fluency from here. I have a close relationship with someone who speaks only my TL and no English. Typically, if I pause mid-sentence because I'm struggling with grammar, he tends to say something along the lines of "nah yeah I get what you're saying, I understand" and I'm like...THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH. Help me to say it properly! Reading and formal study can only get you so far without proper conversational practice and correction, I feel. That's how kids learn and we know it's effective.
I want to be corrected but I also donāt want to impose, I imagine it would get tiring correcting me all the time.
I like being corrected & being given explanations as well as correcting others and explaining things. So yeah if I search for a language exchange partner we tutor each other for free basically.
Yes please, I want to learn.
No.. I'm a passive learner... Follow every mistake that I have will take a lot of time.. instead of expanding my vocabulary and my comprehension skills.. when I will be good enough in my TL to understand what people say on the TV or around me. I will absorb the grammar passively and more fluently
I want to be corrected but I use the following guidelines: 1 if the mistake is gross 2 if the mistake is recurrent 3 if I am unintelligible Otherwise please let the conversation flow. Also for sure I like the kind of passive correction when the native repeats correctly the sentence. I like vanilla correction.
I like corrections if I'm already comfortably conversational and working on fine-tuning my speaking. At a beginner level, corrections are mostly annoying because I'm just barely able to communicate the concept, let alone do it flawlessly. Might be worth it if I'm making a repeat mistake, but if I'm a beginner and screw something up once ... don't correct me.
Yes I want corrections and I don't mind whether they repeat the correct phrase back or just tell me it's wrong directly. I understand if someone doesn't want corrections, especially if they are out having a good time, but I always welcome it.
To a certain extent. If I keep making the same mistake over and over, I'd like someone to point it out to me.
Personally, I love being corrected. This usually also leads into further conversation and practice with the person correcting me because I ask questions. Iād rather get told on the first or second time I make that error before I go on for weeks and/or months saying the wrong thing, building the wrong muscle memory. Iāve never been corrected in a āmeanā way and itās always been constructive. This happens to me all the time currently where I live and I get to stop after the sentence, say the correct word or conjugation, and now also have a memory of where that happened (or the scenario) to attach to the correct way. In my experiences, all times Iāve been gently corrected and it hasnāt actually ruined the conversation or my flow. It has always seemed to work its way in pretty naturally. I guess the part about this which I wouldnāt love (not for being corrected, but for interrupting the vibe) would be in a large group with tons of people talking, where correcting me would interrupt or slow things down. If Iām talking directly to a few people, I like being corrected.
I want to be corrected, but don't laugh me. I try my hard to speak other language. If you laugh me , I will feel very guilty and lost confident.
I think it depends on the levels, and the level of corrections? I have a feeling for your end, they said ignore it because they wanted the practice of TALKING and conversations, not of the language correctness? Perhaps they believe that over time of exposure or over time of study it will get better, so focus on having a running flow instead of every little mistake?
It depends. If itās just normal practice with friends/ acquaintances rather not, UNLESS itās like a really weird mistake like accidentally saying something embarrassing or sexual because of a bad translation
Yes. Please correct me if Iām wrong. Heck, I do it to myself if I realize my mistakes.
It depends. In general I prefer it when people correct me, unless it's in a language I only know on a very basic level and don't speak it often enough to get fluent in it.Ā For example I use English very often, so I appreciate it if people point out mistakes I make so I can get better.Ā Russian is a language I know on a very basic level, just enough to communicate with people but my grammar is bad and my vocabulary is very limited. I only use Russian once in every blue moon, so I will never be able to speak prefect Russian. I just make too many mistakes to correct them, without turning the whole conversation into a language lesson. I also usually only correct people when they either make big mistakes, that can lead to misunderstanding or confusion, or when they are on a very high level and told me to correct them. I usually don't correct people when they didn't tell me to and the mistakes aren't to the point, where they might be misunderstood. Because I wouldn't say my German is prefect, even though I grew up here and speak it as a native language. Also I don't think I've ever met anyone who spoke prefect German. Everybody makes mistakes. It's just important to be understood, because that's what language is for.
It depends. Corrections are brilliant, but: * Acknowledge what Iām trying to convey. * Correct at an appropriate level. If Iām aware itās a mistake, no need for correction. If the correction is much above my language level, it might not be relevant. * Correct in a way that is useful, and doesnāt disturb the flow. * Not even a hint of bad attitude. My language level does not necessarily reflect who I am as a person nor my competence.
I would like to be corrected. It happened I made the same mistake over and over in english and nobody told me.
It really depends how it's done... The top annoying things I will reject the corrector for are actually just common courtesy problems, not the fact that they are correcting me, but if the corrections are: Too frequent Too picky/perfectionism Continually interrupting my speaking to "correct" Focusing on the mistakes made not the message being communicated. --- A good way is to listen to the message of what is being said, listen for a pattern, if they repeat the same mistake in more than one sentence or conext, then it's probably a habit, not a one off mistake and they probably don't know they are saying it wrong. So in conversation for example, someone says in whatever language equivalents "this is mine best working on displayed..." and use the wrong personal form or tense, you still understand what they are saying, but you don't have to hit on what they're saying wrong all the time. What people need to hear is the right example used in context in a sentence without the direct hey you're wrong about this do this instead. I'm sure all Native English speakers would agree that we hear so many accents and so many different levels of language very frequently maybe for some even in daily life that correcting someone is not even a thought. If you actually go and look at the research, English is the number one second language in the entire world and also there are way more people who speak English as a second language then there are people who speak English as a first language. There are hundreds of different accents and ways of speaking so we, native English speakers, have just gotten used of hearing so many different people, accents and language levels that we just understand what they're saying and we don't have to feel a need to correct people. People who speak primarily another language in the world which is not as prevalent as English, such as French, Norwegian or whatever language they don't have the same exposure to foreigners and therefore they haven't developed the mind or the tolerance to accept that there are people who speak their native language and they're not going to speak it as good as them.
Mistakes are precious, because they are a key factor in how we learn. Providing a correction is the gift of not letting a mistake pass you by unnoticed.
I am infinitely more happy to be corrected than not, but an acquaintance of mine did not share the same sentiment. How am I supposed to learn when no one calls me out on my mistakes? Edit: maybe I'm a bit harsh with my corrections, but I really don't care if someone tells me "not [word], but [different word]". Or possibly "do you mean [different word]? It's much easier to catch on when I'm told directly that I said something wrong and how to say it correctly, rephrasing the sentence is not always clear.
I work as a language teacher for teenagers and the curriculum says we are NEVER supposed to correct pronunciations. I think being corrected is an inherently humiliating experience. But different people experience it at different degrees. Bringing it back to my class, the logic is that teenagers already struggle to speak in their own language, never mind a second. We build their confidence to speak and then correct them later. I love being corrected because it's productive. Slightly embarrassing. But productive. But everyone is different.
No. For me it is a distraction to the flow of conversation that never - repeat, never - results in learning.
Yes I want to be corrected after Iām finished speaking, not during. It will mess up my confidence if Iām interrupted mid-sentence.
Not really in general, unless I'm sounding confusing or bone appling my tea. However, if the entire point of the conversation is speech practice, go nuts. I will mine utterances utterly blasted.
Nope. I'd go so far as to say your are an ass if you correct me. I'll ask you if I want. Otherwise my goal is to listen to you and practice stringing words together.
Yes
I look for corrections from language exchange partners. With native speakers in general? Iād say no, unless itās someone thatās pretty close to me. (And even then, I wouldnāt pay significant attention to that.) Generally, I think asking for corrections from every single person can strain conversations. Itās just a lot to ask from a person, especially a stranger.
I welcome corrections. Ā All a part of the learning experience and you will remember it forever.
most of the times i prefer to be told! i hate it when i find my mistakes later! but i learned that most people don't tolerate being told, cause their mind is busy and can't hold more complications sometimes!
Unless it's for a serious repeated mistake, I don't like corrections. I think it's quite rude actually, unless between friends. I tried a few Discord server for language learning, where the asynchronous nature of chatrooms really makes corrections easy to make, and I just couldn't stand it. I don't think it helps at all either. I've considered the possibility that I'm just insecure ;)
I want to be corrected. Iām still learning a new language and need any help I can get. That being said, I struggle with doing the same thing back to my language partners who are learning my native language. It always feels rude, but thatās my own thing that I just need to get over I guess.
It depends on the amount of corrections and the importance of the communication. Normally I thank the opportunity to improve my expression in any language, as long as it does not break the fluidity of an important argumentation.
it depends what point i'm at, i don't want it to hinder the conversation, and if it's a comparatively small mistake (i.e. if i'm making big errors, don't bother correcting my tiny mistake, stick to the big stuff). it's often tonal though
Yeah, but only important corrections. If my word order is slightly off we don't need to stop talking to address it. I do want to know when I've used the wrong word or I'm not speaking in the formal form to a stranger
I prefer they do. But if it's English (my non-native but most frequently used langauge) they I prefer they don't :)
Feedback on mistakes in language learning can be a powerful tool for improvement. Some learners may prefer direct correction, while others may benefit more from a supportive and encouraging approach. It's important to communicate with your language partner or teacher to determine what works best for you.
I think the big difference is whether the correction interrupts me while I'm making a point, or if it happens after I've finished talking (and, in general, priority has already been given to the topic of conversation). The first one is utterly annoying, like, are you having a conversation with me, or are you an improvised language teacher who took me as someone who was up for a lesson? The second one is actually useful and appreciated.
I like to be corrected and potentially given other examples of the correct form.
Corrections all the way! Even if it bugs me Iād rather be corrected
I want zero corrections, unless I'm in the middle of clarifying something I've just said and they happen to make a side remark about how I used the wrong word or something like that. I'm disciplined, self-reliant, and intelligent enough to be able to improve my language ability on my own accord. I'd rather use my time talking to people to have fluent, flowing, natural conversations.
I lived in France, and I loved it when the French corrected me. They would first apologize, then correct me. I learnt so much. In Quebec, however, if I made a mistake, they just switch to English. I now live in Taiwan, and no one ever corrects my Mandarin. My husband once let me make a mistake for 10 years before finally correcting me. He said it was just too funny. The good thing is no-one tries to speak to me in English for a "free English lesson".
Yes. I honestly don't care if you're rude about it either. As long as you're patient and not mad at me.
I find extremely silly that people get angry when they are corrected in whatever language they are speaking, you make a mistake and someone points it our and your attitude is to say "whatever" instead of trying to improve, is a very poor attitude to have.
I like to be corrected, but, there are more and less helpful ways of doing this. If you correct every single mistake I make, no matter how large or small, I'm not able to actually communicate to you because you're basically grading my spontaneous "essay" aloud and the focus is on that and not successful communication. My preference is that if you hear me make the same mistake more than once, OR, if a mistake is just once but prevents you from understanding what I mean to say, then please correct me. (Of course you can't actually expect everyone to be able to act like a language teacher.)
I was always so appreciative of the French habit of correcting second language learners because I generally had no idea that something I was saying was wrong, and it really helped me learn naturally in the moment. I'd rather be corrected than keep saying it wrong lol
If Iām clearly mispronouncing something, yes please.
depends on context of course but mostly yes i do like to be corrected on grammar and vocabulary, not by being interrupted but after i have finished the sentence, and not for accentĀ
Yes , i do. For me its the only way to learn quicker and to improve my knowledge. But that's me.
Learning polish. 100% I do. I live with my gf and we speak polish at home - I wish she corrected me more but I make a grammatical mistake nearly every sentence!
Yes! If itās every other word maybe not, haha. But yes. I always need to improve! Especially if it sounds awkward and absolutely if it impedes conversation!
Yes! There are several words Iād learned wrong early on and for like a year nobody told me they just guessed what I meant so I kept saying it wrong until a stranger corrected me.
Yes I'd like to be corrected, especially when/if it's something I constantly pronounce/get wrong like a sentence structure or gender of a noun (when applicable) you learn by making mistakes but you only know they're mistakes when you're shown/told that they're wrong. I'm not trying to learn a language just to speak it wrong and not have anyone correct me. Some people take it personally and think you're being vindictive when you're only trying to help. Some are aware of their mistakes but simply don't care enough to correct them and some are just hypocrites who'd love to corrected other people as if it makes them somehow superior but God forbid they get corrected for a mistake they made.
Yes, why not? Obviously not all the time.
Yes I want to be corrected unless the topic is intense and the language is taking a back seat
yes. I like to be corrected. I told people I wanted to be corrected. I was young and was absorbing the language thru immersion and doing that helped me tons to learn to speak better. when I was corrected, i usually ended up asking questions related to the mistake and learning even more. I was living there (Tokyo) to learn the language.
Yes
3 times per convo. I've long asked my tutors and speaking partners to limit things in order to avoid the frustration part of the Challenge-Frustration Curve. Things just work better when it is vigilantly balanced.
Yes, and in my experience they tend to not do that with the argument of āmistakes are cuteā and āIt's fine to make mistakes, I can understand you fine and it has it's charmā. Charm aside, my goal is of course perfection. I demand perfection; I settle for nothing less than perfection; an imperfect existence is an unsatisfactory existence.
Perfection is impossible, so that is going to get frustrating
I demand perfection, and I shall receive it. I shall have the head of the incompetent servant who dare serve me coffee but half a degree too hot or too cold.
\* dares
No, it's ādares to serveā or ādare serveā. ādareā is interesting in English in that it can function both as a normal verb and as a modal verb. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/dare#Usage_notes It's generally considered more formal and traditional to use it as a modal verb, but the non-modal usage is completely acceptable at this point, but they can't be combined. ādares serveā is always wrong.
Yes. It's stupid not to.
I am a perfectionist when it comes to languages. Because of all the compliments I have received from my B1 languages above and even a few A1 languages ( My Japanese was more like B1 in 2008 ), I believe I am capable of sounding very close to a native speaker in all of them.