Exploiting learners' errors

[Anna]

I believe it is important not to interrupt students when they are speaking because they are nervous about what they are going to say and how they are going to say it and about some of their classmates, who might make fun of them, if they say something wrong. Most of the times, young teenagers prefer not to participate in class because they are really concerned about what the rest will think of them. I think communicating is what really matters. So I never interrupt them. What I sometimes do, and always depending on the level of the students I am working with or the kind of mistake they make, is to correct them at the end, especially if it is with older students. This has a connection with discussion topic number 4. Making mistakes is a natural thing when learning any language, it is by usage and practice that one finally learns not to make mistakes. So yes, trial and error, sometimes correcting after the student has ended saying what he/she had to say and always thanking them after their contribution to the class.