1. Mistakes Are Normal

When children start learning English, they will make many mistakes.

This is normal.

They may say:

“I goed to school.”

instead of:

“I went to school.”

They may say:

“He have a dog.”

instead of:

“He has a dog.”

They may say:

“Two cat.”

instead of:

“Two cats.”

They may also say a word with the wrong sound.

This does not mean that the child is bad at English.

It means the child is learning.

A beginner needs to try, make mistakes, hear the correct English, and try again.

The teacher should therefore see mistakes as part of learning.

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2. Never Laugh at a Mistake

One of the most important rules is:

Never laugh at a child because of an English mistake.

The other children should not laugh either.

Imagine a child says:

“She are happy.”

Other children laugh.

The child may feel bad.

The child may think:

“My English is bad.”

Next time, the child may not speak.

This is a problem because speaking is very important when learning a language.

The teacher can say:

“It’s OK.”

“Good try.”

“Let’s try again.”

Then help the child say:

“She is happy.”

The child can repeat:

“She is happy.”

Teacher:

“Good!”

The child learns the correct English without feeling bad.

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3. Do Not Say Only “Wrong!”

A teacher should not always say:

“Wrong!”

This word can make a beginner afraid.

The child may think:

“I don’t want to answer again.”

Instead, use positive words.

Say:

“Good try.”

“Almost.”

“Try again.”

“Listen again.”

“Let’s do it together.”

Then give the correct answer if the child needs help.

For example:

Teacher:

“What is this?”

Child:

“It are a book.”

Teacher:

“Good try. Listen: It is a book.”

Child:

“It is a book.”

Teacher:

“Yes! Very good!”

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4. First Understand the Mistake

Not every mistake is the same.

Sometimes the child knows the answer but says it badly.

Sometimes the child does not know the answer.

Sometimes the child does not understand the question.

Sometimes the child knows the answer but is shy.

The teacher should first think:

What is the problem?

For example:

Teacher:

“What colour is the bag?”

Child:

“Blue.”

This is correct.

But if the child says:

“Book.”

The child may not understand the question.

The teacher should not simply say:

“Wrong!”

Instead, show the bag and say:

“Colour?”

Then:

“Blue.”

The child can understand the question.

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5. Give the Child Another Chance

A mistake is often a chance to try again.

For example:

Teacher:

“What is this?”

Child:

“Dog.”

Teacher:

“Look again.”

The teacher points to a cat.

Child:

“Cat.”

Teacher:

“Yes! Good!”

The child gets a second chance.

This is very useful for beginners.

They learn:

“I can make a mistake and try again.”

This helps them become more confident.

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6. Use the Correct Answer Naturally

You do not always need to explain the mistake.

Sometimes the best way is simply to say the correct sentence.

Child:

“He go to school every day.”

Teacher:

“Yes, he goes to school every day.”

The teacher says the correct English.

The child hears it.

If useful, the teacher can ask:

“Can you say it?”

Child:

“He goes to school every day.”

Teacher:

“Good!”

This is simple and clear.

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7. Do Not Correct Every Small Mistake

Beginners make many mistakes.

If the teacher corrects every word, the lesson can become difficult and slow.

The child may also become afraid to speak.

For example, a child says:

“Yesterday I go school and I see my friend and we play football.”

There are several possible mistakes.

The teacher does not need to correct everything.

The most important thing may be:

“Yesterday I went to school.”

The teacher can let the child continue speaking.

The main goal is communication.

Too many corrections can stop children from speaking.

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8. Correct Important Mistakes

Some mistakes should be corrected because they are important for the lesson.

For example, if the lesson is about:

He / She

and the child says:

“She is a boy.”

The teacher should help.

Say:

“Look at the picture. He is a boy. She is a girl.”

Then ask:

“Boy?”

Child:

“He.”

Teacher:

“Girl?”

Child:

“She.”

This makes the correction part of the lesson.

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9. Use Repetition

Repetition is one of the easiest ways to correct beginners.

Teacher:

“He have a car.”

Child:

“Yes.”

Teacher:

“He has a car.”

Child:

“He has a car.”

Teacher:

“Good.”

The child hears the correct sentence and says it again.

There is no need for a long grammar explanation.

For absolute beginners, hear → repeat → use is often easier.

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10. Help Without Giving the Answer Too Quickly

Sometimes the child needs only a little help.

Teacher:

“What is this?”

Child:

“…”

Teacher:

“It is a …”

Child:

“Dog!”

Teacher:

“Yes! It is a dog.”

The teacher gives part of the answer.

The child finishes it.

This is better than giving the whole answer immediately.

The child has a chance to remember the word.

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11. Use Pictures and Actions

A picture can help more than a long explanation.

For example, the teacher shows a picture of a boy running.

Teacher:

“What is he doing?”

Child:

“Run.”

Teacher:

“Good. He is running.”

Child:

“He is running.”

Teacher:

“Very good!”

The picture helps the child understand the correction.

You can also use actions.

Teacher runs.

Teacher:

“What am I doing?”

Child:

“Run!”

Teacher:

“Running.”

Child:

“Running.”

Teacher:

“Yes!”

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12. Help a Very Shy Child

Some children know the answer but do not want to speak.

Do not put too much pressure on them.

Start with an easy question.

Teacher:

“What is this?”

The child says nothing.

Teacher:

“Cat?”

The child nods.

Teacher:

“Yes. Cat.”

Then later:

“Can you say cat?”

Child:

“Cat.”

Teacher:

“Good!”

The next time, the child may speak more.

Confidence can grow slowly.

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13. Praise the Try

A child does not always need to give the perfect answer to receive praise.

For example:

Teacher:

“What is this?”

Child:

“Banana.”

The picture shows an orange.

Teacher:

“Good try! It is an orange.”

This is better than:

“No! Wrong!”

The child made an effort.

The teacher can praise the effort and then teach the correct word.

Useful phrases are:

“Good try.”

“Nice try.”

“Almost.”

“Try again.”

“You are close.”

“Good!”

“Very good!”

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14. Do Not Compare Children

Never say:

“Look at Anna. She knows the answer. Why don’t you?”

This can make another child feel bad.

Children learn at different speeds.

One child may learn ten words quickly.

Another child may need more time.

Instead, compare the child with their own earlier work.

For example:

“Last week you knew two words. Today you know five words. Very good!”

This gives the child a reason to feel proud.

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15. When the Whole Class Makes a Mistake

Sometimes many children make the same mistake.

Do not correct every child one by one.

Stop and teach the point again.

For example:

Teacher:

“What is this?”

Children:

“He dog.”

Teacher:

“Listen: It is a dog.”

Children:

“It is a dog.”

Teacher:

“Again.”

Children:

“It is a dog.”

Teacher:

“Good!”

Then ask different children again.

This gives the whole class another chance.

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16. When Children Copy Each Other

Sometimes one child gives a wrong answer and several children repeat it.

Do not get angry.

Say:

“Let’s listen again.”

Show the picture.

Ask:

“What is it?”

Give the children time.

Then say:

“It is a cat.”

Children:

“It is a cat.”

Now ask one child:

“What is it?”

Child:

“It is a cat.”

Teacher:

“Good!”

The class has learned the correct answer.

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17. When a Child Keeps Making the Same Mistake

Some mistakes happen again and again.

For example:

Child:

“He have a dog.”

Later:

“He have a cat.”

Later:

“He have a ball.”

Do not become angry.

The child needs more practice.

Use a short activity.

Write:

He has

She has

Then use pictures.

“He has a dog.”

“She has a cat.”

“He has a ball.”

“She has a book.”

Repeat several examples.

The child needs practice, not anger.

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18. Correct the Mistake and Move On

After you correct a mistake, continue the lesson.

Do not spend five minutes talking about one small mistake.

For example:

Child:

“She are happy.”

Teacher:

“Good try. She is happy.”

Child:

“She is happy.”

Teacher:

“Very good. Next question.”

This keeps the lesson moving.

The child learns the correction but does not feel that the mistake is a big problem.

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19. Teach Children That Mistakes Are Safe

The teacher can say this often:

“It’s OK to make mistakes.”

“Everybody makes mistakes.”

“Try again.”

“We learn together.”

“You can try.”

“Don’t be afraid.”

These simple sentences can create a safe classroom.

The children learn that English class is a place where they can try.

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20. The Teacher Is Also a Learner

An A2 teacher may sometimes make an English mistake.

That is also normal.

If the teacher makes a mistake, the teacher can say:

“Sorry. My mistake.”

Then say the correct sentence.

For example:

Teacher:

“He have a dog.”

Teacher stops.

“Sorry. He has a dog.”

The children hear something important:

Even the teacher can make a mistake and try again.

This can make children feel more relaxed.

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21. A Simple Correction Formula

An A2 teacher can remember this simple formula:

1. Listen

Listen to what the child says.

2. Stay calm

Do not show anger.

3. Praise the effort

Say:

“Good try.”

4. Give help

Say the correct word or part of the sentence.

5. Let the child try again

Give the child another chance.

6. Praise again

Say:

“Good!”

This can be:

Listen → Help → Try again → Praise

This is a very useful method for beginner English classes.

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22. Example: Vocabulary Mistake

Teacher:

“What is this?”

Child:

“Dog.”

The picture shows a cat.

Teacher:

“Good try. Cat.”

Child:

“Cat.”

Teacher:

“Yes! Cat. Very good!”

The correction is short.

The child learns the word.

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23. Example: Grammar Mistake

Teacher:

“What does she do every day?”

Child:

“She go to school.”

Teacher:

“Good try. She goes to school.”

Child:

“She goes to school.”

Teacher:

“Very good!”

No long grammar lesson is needed.

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24. Example: Pronunciation Mistake

Child:

“Tree.”

The child means “three.”

Teacher:

“Three.”

Child:

“Tree.”

Teacher:

“Three.”

The teacher shows three fingers.

“Three.”

Child:

“Three!”

Teacher:

“Yes! Good!”

The action helps the child hear and understand the difference.

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25. Example: The Child Does Not Know

Teacher:

“What is this?”

Child:

“I don’t know.”

Teacher:

“No problem.”

The teacher shows the picture.

“Apple.”

Child:

“Apple.”

Teacher:

“Good. Apple.”

Later, ask again:

“What is it?”

Child:

“Apple!”

Teacher:

“Excellent!”

The child has learned a new word.

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26. The Main Goal

The goal is not:

“No mistakes.”

The goal is:

“Try to speak English.”

A child who makes a mistake but speaks is learning.

A child who is afraid to speak may not learn as much.

So the teacher should create a classroom where children feel:

“I can try.”

“I can make a mistake.”

“I can try again.”

“I can learn.”

“I can speak English.”

That is one of the most important things an English teacher can give a beginner.

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smfrockz@gmx.at

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Remember how babies
learn a language:

Babies learn a language by listening.
They use their ears to hear sounds.
Their brain remembers these sounds.
Babies connect sounds with people and things.
They listen to their parents.
Then they copy the sounds they hear. They imitate words.
Slowly, babies learn to speak.

So,
LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN………………