LEARNER ERRORS AS PEDAGOGICAL RESOURCES: REFRAMING ERROR CORRECTION IN SECOND LANGUAGE CLASSROOMS

Error correction has long occupied a central yet controversial position in second language acquisition (SLA) research and pedagogy. While traditional approaches treat learner errors as deficiencies to be eliminated, recent perspectives emphasize their diagnostic and developmental value. This study re-examines learner errors in English as a Second Language (ESL) classrooms and proposes a pedagogical framework that reconceptualizes errors as resources for learning. Drawing on classroom data from intermediate-level learners, the paper analyzes recurrent grammatical and lexical error patterns and demonstrates how these patterns reflect underlying interlanguage systems. The study introduces the Error-Driven Learning Cycle (EDLC), a structured approach that integrates error identification, reflection, and guided reconstruction. The findings suggest that when systematically incorporated into instruction, learner errors can significantly enhance metalinguistic awareness and long-term retention. The paper contributes to applied linguistics by offering a practical and theoretically grounded model for classroom implementation.