When Ego Encounters An Error

The paper is intended to explicit the interaction between English teachers' error correction in class and students' self-confidence. With a focus on English oral communication, it covers how teachers correct students' spoken errors in English class, how different ways of correction affect students' learning efficiency, and how teachers can improve correction skills so that students' self-confidence will not wither away by such authoritative performance of correction. Based on the information from the investigation data and findings from six-month daily class observation of Japanese Juniors, questionnaires and interviews with Chinese students of the same age and an exhaustive analysis on the timing, doers and ways of correction, the author has reached the conclusion that a teacher's error correction in class can empower or hinder students' learning motivation by enhancing or weakening their confidence. A more relaxed and supportive learning community, where an empathetic, tolerant and humorous facilitator is indispensable, is required to boost students' self-confidence and give full play to learners' individualism, thus self-motivated learners will come as a result of successful teaching.