Error Correction in L2 writing

[Montmorency]

I personally do want error correction, but ...

(being a sensitive soul)

...I don't want it done in such a way as it crumples my ego and makes me lose the will to carry on with the language.

Yes, I know I should probably get over myself and "man up", but I'm a bit too old to change my spots.

In one evening class series I've been to, two different teachers shared the same approach to correcting common mistakes, which I much appreciated, which was to let them accumulate for a few weeks, and then talk about them to the whole class, so that no one felt singled out for negative attention. Perhaps that's a common technique among adult education teachers, or teachers generally nowadays.

The same teachers would also carefully correct written work (with only you and the tutor seeing the corrections). I did find these useful and not too ego-deflating. The only thing I missed was to discuss some of them with the tutor, but there would never have been time for that in that sort of scenario.

What are more difficult to handle are errors in the spoken language. I can still find correction of my speech particularly wounding for some reason (even though objectively, I know it's necessary). Funnily enough it's usually grammar or vocabulary that tutors will pick you up on, rather than pronunciation, even though often it is pronunciation that I would value having explicit guidance on. That is probably best done with one to one tutoring, but of course that is when costs start to mount up. However, I realise this thread is about written correction.