The aesthetics of error: transforming the language barrier into a tool for development

Abstract

The article aims to provide a theoretical justification of the aesthetics of error as a pedagogical strategy for reinterpreting language inaccuracies and transforming the language barrier into a developmental resource in English language education. Methods. The study applies the analysis of contemporary research on language anxiety, corrective feedback, delayed correction, and self-correction. The methods of theoretical generalization, systematization, and conceptual modeling were used to integrate cognitive and psycho-pedagogical aspects of error interpretation. The research also synthesizes experience in implementing alternative approaches to working with learner inaccuracies in educational practice. Results. The findings show that an orientation toward error minimization and the dominance of a normative approach contribute to language anxiety, reduced communicative participation, and error-paralysis. The study substantiates the interpretation of errors as indicators of interlanguage development and cognitive hypothesis formation, which is realized through engaging learners in the analysis of language inaccuracies and identifying their underlying causes. The concept of "Error Branding" is proposed as a shift in pedagogical discourse from a punitive to an analytical model, including the use of development-oriented terms such as "learning points" and "creative attempts" to reduce emotional pressure. Practical tools are presented, including the "Error Auction" method, the "Epic Fails" collective journal, delayed correction, and structured self-correction as means of developing metacognitive skills. Conclusions. Reconsidering the status of language errors as cognitive and developmental phenomena contributes to the creation of a psychologically safe educational environment, increased communicative activity, and the development of learner autonomy. The proposed approach may be implemented in English language teaching in secondary and higher education institutions.