A Passion for Correction

Everybody has a passion, don't they? Okay, I concede that it is probably more precise to say that many or most people have it. Without a passion, life can overflow with mundanity, leaving no space for the element of excitement that would otherwise make it much more interesting and worth living. I was born roughly 31 years ago, and it appears that ever since then I have had a passion for something that would possibly make many people raise their eyebrows. And that's a passion for correction.

My bodily configuration is easily to "blame" for this offbeat path. By nature, I would wince at things that are square pegs in round holes. Incorrectness and imperfection get under my skin and launch me into a state of nagging unease. Order is what I earnestly strive for and aspire to achieve. This eccentric tendency eventually and naturally led to me taking up an unusual hobby of making corrections, and this is most pronounced in the area of English.

I first learned English epochs ago in elementary school and instantly got hooked on it. English, as a whole, captivates me, but the most interesting aspect of this international language for me was – and still is – grammar. While it seems that a massive number of English learners dread and regard it as a nightmare, I am actually fascinated by the workings of the English language. Throughout my life, I kept on learning English and discovered myriad interesting things, including the revelation that English, including its grammar, evolves – just like everything else in the world (also read Language Finds a Way). Now I pursue a career in the field of English education and this is certainly a dream come true.

My enormous interest in English inevitably blends with my great passion for correction. In classroom settings, I do my level best to give my students useful corrections for their improvement in the language. However, as I stated earlier, it extends to pursuits outside my livelihood sphere. Over the years I have spotted mistakes in books etc., wrote their corrections and sent them to those responsible. Not all of them responded, but I am really glad to have contributed what I could for better accuracy, nevertheless.

Among those replying to me, three were so kind-hearted that not only did they thank me, but they also went the extra mile. The first one is 4M, a Hongkong-based company that produces educational toys and crafts. In 2012, I made corrections for its two products: Dinosaur Skeleton Excavation Kit: Tyrannosaurus rex and Dig a Glow Dinosaur. The company's representative, Daniel Yun, replied to my email, thanking me and saying that they would like to send Glow-in-the-Dark 3-Dimensional Dinosaur to me as a gesture of goodwill. I was joyfully speechless. Of course, I accepted the kind offer and received the dinosaurian present.

Glow-in-the-Dark 3-Dimensional Dinosaur

The second one is one of my favorite authors Darren Naish. While enjoying his marvelous book Dinosaurs: How They Lived and Evolved, I jotted down writing mistakes which I found there and sent the corrections to the British paleontologist via Twitter. As a token of appreciation, Dr. Naish included me in the acknowledgements of the second edition to the book (my name is also mentioned in his blog post The Second Edition of Naish and Barrett's Dinosaurs).

Acknowledgements of Dinosaurs: How They Lived and Evolved (Second Edition) with my name marked

The last one is the publishing house Collins. While it seems to be not as popular as Oxford and the like when it comes to ELT (English Language Teaching), the British publisher has actually produced some of my favorite books on the subject, such as Work on Your Idioms. One tremendously useful resource for learning English released by Collins is Collins COBUILD English Usage (Fourth Edition). While perusing this superb book, I noticed a number of mistakes and sent them to Collins ELT via Facebook over a period of time. A representative named Yan always warmly replied to my messages, forming a congenial conversation atmosphere. This went on up to a point where the publisher decided to send me something as a way to say thank you. Do you know what that something is? A duo of amazing dictionaries: Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary and Collins COBUILD Phrasal Verbs Dictionary!

Collins COBUILD Idioms and Phrasal Verbs Dictionaries

This sort of rectification endeavors is not the only form in which my linguistic craziness is manifested. A few years ago was an epiphany that kickstarted an exciting project on Instagram. I had never had an account on the social media platform before (also read Why I Don't Use Instagram), but this had to change thanks to the light-bulb moment. I created an account named English Corrector, which captures writing mistakes made all over the world and invites its followers, namely ECers, to correct them – of course, I provide the answer and explanation in the description of every post. English Corrector also offers daily quizzes through Instagram stories, which can also be accessed via Highlights.

English Corrector

Last but not least, I also make use of my dino eyes (yes, eagles are dinosaurs) for commercial purposes. Troofreader helps you with your writing by means of proofreading and translating from English into Indonesian and vice versa. Troofreader's motto is "Clarity is a virtue."

Troofreader Logo

Note: Information about English Corrector and Troofreader can be found in the left sidebar of this blog.

I think my burning passion for correction will last for as long as I can breathe. It is part of what defines me as a person.