On corrections, and how to give them without breaking confidence

The worst correction I ever received was delivered in front of a room full of people, immediately after I'd said something with all the bravery I had. My teacher repeated my mistake in an exaggerated accent, then explained what was wrong. The class laughed. I didn't speak again for the rest of the lesson.

That was twenty years ago. I still remember it.

I think about that moment every time I'm about to correct someone in Anvié. Because the correction isn't the hard part — the hard part is ensuring that after the correction, the student wants to try again.

There are several things I've found that help. First: timing. Correcting mid-sentence breaks the flow and trains students to anticipate interruption. I wait. I let the thought complete. Then I circle back.

Second: the sandwich. Not the old 'positive-correction-positive' performance, but something more honest. I name what worked — the vocabulary choice, the risk they took, the complex idea they attempted — and then I offer the correction as a gift, not a verdict. 'The word you want there is actually quite interesting — here's why it differs from what you used.'

Third: I model, I don't demand. I say the phrase the way it sounds in my mouth. I don't ask them to repeat it back immediately. I let it land. They'll find their way to it.

The goal of a correction is not accuracy. Accuracy is the side effect. The goal is to ensure that the student walks away wanting to speak more, not less. If your corrections are right but your students go quiet, your corrections are wrong.