errors & mistakes in language

Forbes wrote:

I think the distinction is only useful to linguists.

... or lexicographers.  I totally agree with you, Khoff, when you say

to me it seems that the distinction between "error" and "mistake" as the terms are used in linguistics is purely arbitrary.

It's just... I've been thinking how difficult it is to judge your own language use. 

I thought, at first, that every mistake I make in English is on a conscious level; I have to mobilize all the knowledge I've got every time I utter a simplest English sentence.  Nothing automatic, nothing subconscious.  But, actually, I've vaguely begun to sense that there must be more effective ways to improve my spoken English.  For example, English language attaches great weight to verbal phrases, Japanese doesn't!  Predicates are the last part of the sentence in Japanese, and it certainly affects my way of speaking English.  I don't know...  that kind of thing was a difference I couldn't learn through a grammar book, so it was an eye-opener for me, personally    


And there's another thing:  I've heard some old radio program recently in which the usage "The thing is, is that..." is discussed.  Certainly, it's one of those phrases which, no doubt, arouse ESL learners' curiosity, I guess     I started wondering what kind of explanation/advice might be useful in such cases.

So... I'm still wondering what Jvm has in mind...

Hi all,

I've been busy with this current course training ESL teachers so just realized I needed to check this thread!  In practical application, understanding and applying the distinction between mistake and error in the linguistic sense can be quite valuable.  If I hear a student say (to take Blaine Ray's example) "I go to the bank yesterday," how am I to respond?  If it is a mistake, e.g. a "slip of the tongue", the student has learned the past tense and conjugations, and perhaps with proper elicitation work I can remind them of the correct "I went" structure.  What is more, I don't have to "teach" this to them since they already know it!  I can set up some questions where they teach themselves.

If it is an error, however, they don't know any better... they have never "learned" the past tense so no amount of probing questions will help.  This tells me I need to teach them the past tense, if not today, then another class.  Rather than trying to force them to use a structure they've never encountered and may not understand at this moment (when it might be away from my objective anyway), I can concentrate on the rest of the sentence which is perfectly comprehensible, and it tells me what next week's lesson should be.

In our course we generally don't like to "tell" teachers what the answers are but help them find them for themselves.  As I read the posts, I'm thinking what's been on my mind the past week... with this matter, in real life, away from linguistics, does "error" really mean something deeper than "mistake"?  If it does, how can I help them to recognize this distinction that they already may be aware of, albeit subconsciously?  If not, then yes, the only answer is to "tell" them that this is a linguistic distinction and to learn and know it... hmmm...

CalifJim wrote:

the usage "The thing is, is that..." is discussed.  ...  I started wondering what kind of explanation/advice might be useful in such cases. It's a faulty pseudo-cleft.  It should be either the correct pseudo-cleft structure with what, or the non-cleft version, or the completely reduced version without the introductory "The thing is that". What the thing is is that the problem is too difficult. The thing is that the problem is too difficult. The problem is too difficult. CJ

A faulty pseudo-cleft, or a new idiom, wouldn't you say...?? 

Great explanation.  Thanks a lot.

Amatoolah wrote:

Hello everybody, please i have a question concerning  errors . could you plssibly tell me what is the difference between error, mistake , and fault . How can a teacher deal with these errors  thank you in advance .

I AM WORKING IN THE MNC COMPANY. THE CLIENT GAVE ME A PROJECT FOR SEVEN DAYS. BUT I TOOK TWO MORE DAYS TO COMPLETE AND MADE 5% OF ERRORS. THE CLIENT IS ASKING THE EXPLANATION FOR DELAY AND ERRORS. HOW TO EXPLAIN!