0
Your speaking errors: auto-correct or save for later?
10 ay önce“I’m working there five years, err…. I’ve been working there five years.)”
Generally, self-correction in the moment of speaking is a very good language learning strategy. Saying the corrected word or phrase aloud reinforces it in your memory and (during a class) signals to your teacher that you do in fact know the correct spoken form. This is the “auto-correct” mode in the example above.
Self-correction during a real conversation, a presentation, or workplace discussion may be more a matter of judgement. Depending on the context – a formal presentation, for example – it may be better not to draw attention to a language “slip-up” (a small mistake). Native speakers can, and often do, make speaking errors in passing and will generally not bother to correct anything that doesn’t seriously disrupt their meaning, for example: “This new government program will effect our hiring practices.” (The verb should be ‘affect’.)
People are generally tolerant of a certain number of mistakes as long as they feel they are understanding your main points. As a second-language learner, a good rule of thumb would be to correct yourself aloud during small talk or informal workplace conversations. For more serious communications you will want to focus on getting your message across without interruption. Self-monitoring for grammar or pronunciation is a core language learning skill, but sometimes you’ll want to mentally click “save for later” and review your performance under more relaxed conditions!
