Approaches to error correction in language teaching, and how it has Literature review

Approaches to error correction in language teaching, and how it has evolved - Literature review Example Language is correlated to culture, and understanding a people’s language is a prerequisite to understanding their culture. A second language is very vital to the lives of many people because it affects their careers, identities and future lives. It is therefore, an important task when one engages in helping people to acquire a second language (Cook, 2008, p. 1). In fact, it would be very difficult for tourists to enjoy their tour in a foreign country, for instance, if they were unable to express themselves in the language that is commonly spoken in that language or if the tour guides in the foreign country did not have sufficient spoken and written knowledge on the tourists’ language. However, language teaching, especially second language teaching, is associated with errors among learners. This means that language teaching incorporates error correction. Various approaches to error correction in language teaching have been proposed by various scholars and researchers. Initially, attention was focused on the language that the learner produced and the technique of error analysis focused on the differences between the learner’s speech and that of the native speaker. Language teachers or instructors were interested to know how the learner’s language was like (Cook, 2008, p. 6). Naturally, it is very difficult for a foreigner to attain the same language proficiency as that of a native speaker. Therefore, this approach could not be effective in evaluating achievement of a language learner because it is not guaranteed that such learner can attain absolute proficiency in spoken or written language. It has been noted that second language learners do not achieve proficiency in language which can measure up with native-speaking individuals in terms of speaking and writing. One of the reasons why this phenomenon is varied is becau se of instructional issues (House, 2011, p. 61). During the 1950s and 1960s, the