Is error correction useful for second language acquisition?

This paper will examine the question whether error correction is useful for second language acquisition. As the correction of errors in a second language occurs mostly in classrooms, the question will be discussed with regard to the effect of instruction on second language acquisition. Whereas the first part of this paper will analyse the effect of error correction with reference to the impact of instruction on language learning and eventually on language acquisition from a theoretical point of view, the second part will try to determine some of the factors which cause the different outcomes of error correction: different learning styles, different types of errors, differences in learners’ motivation to acquire a language and in their desire to be corrected and teachers’ consistency. The conclusion will try to relate the discussion on different outcomes of error correction to the theoretical assumptions and conclude that error correction is useful if it is done in a meaningful way.