My Point of View vis-a-vis Another Tutor's Comment

To my clients and students: Are you aware of a fossilized error that you have in English? Do you know how you developed that "bad habit"? Can you think of a plan to remove that fossilized error from your English output?

QUOTE When learning a new language, it’s important to correct mistakes as soon as possible so they don’t become fossilised* (= when a mistake becomes a habit and it gets difficult to get rid of) END QUOTE

Based on my training and based on my experience as a language learner and an English language teacher, I agree that it is important not to allow the repetition of a given error over and over again because that will just make the error stronger and harder to get rid of later on. An error becomes fossilised after repeated use, repeated repetition. However, a tutor merely correcting a student error does not necessarilt prevent the error from becoming fossilized or un-fossilize it.

At every level of learning a language, errors should be corrected in a way that does not stiffle, embarass or otherwise make the student uncomfrotable. It is important that the tutor chooses the manner of error correction that does not interrupt student flow. To prevent fossilization of an error, it is important to practice the correct form, ad nauseum in a variety of contexts both in and out of class. Developing a new habit requires deliberate repetition via controlled practice and freer practice. Even beginners can start with fossilized errors because many A1 or even A0 students are actually false beginners. There are very few people on earth that have not been exposed to English through any variety of channels prior to their first official English lesson.

Those fossilized errors developed due to repetition over time, so the trick is to create a new habit (the correct form) to replace the old habit (the fossilized error).