(structures being used too frequently). Attempts to apply such categories
have been problematic however, due to the difficulty of determining the
cause of errors. By the late 1970s, error analysis had largely been super-
seded by studies of interlanguageand second language acquisition.error correction n
strategies used by a teacher or more advanced learner to correct errors in
a learner’s speech. Error correction may be direct (teacher supplies the
correct form) or indirect (the teacher points out the problem and asks the
learner to correct it if possible).
see also feedback, recast
error gravity n
a measure of the effect that errors made by people speaking a second or
foreign language have on communication or on other speakers of the
language. The degree of error gravity of different kinds of errors (e.g. errors
of pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, etc.) varies; some errors have
little effect, some cause irritation, while others may cause communication
difficulties.
For example, in the sentences below, a causes greater interference with
communication than b and shows a greater degree of error gravity.
a Since the harvest was good, was rain a lot last year.
b The harvest was good last year, because plenty of rain.
error of measurement n
also measurement error, error score
an estimate of the discrepancy between test takers’ true scores and their
observed scores. Error can be classified as either random or systematic.
Randomor unsystematic errorsare those that affect a test taker’s score
because of purely random happenings (e.g. guessing, problems with test
administration or scoring errors), whereas systematic errorsare those that
consistently affect a test taker’s score because of factors associated with a
test taker or a test that are not related to the traitbeing measured (e.g. a
cultural bias in a test of reading comprehension).
see also classical test theory, standard error of measurement
error score n
another term for error of measurement
ESD n
an abbreviation for English as a second dialect
error correction