Learning Through Correction: Oral Corrective Feedback in Online EFL Interactions

Corrective feedback has become a big issue in second language acquisition. Its effectiveness when implemented in the class is still the subject of debate. Moreover, its impact on second language learners’ performance is also a topic of discussion. Recently, there has been a growing interest in the role of corrective feedback as a research topic in EFL context. Most researches showed that corrective feedback has a positive effect on EFL learners. Although there has been a growing research concern on the effectiveness of oral corrective feedback, its impact and its application in EFL classroom setting, limited studies examined the relationship between teachers’ corrective feedback and students’ willingness to communicate. Therefore, this case study explores how oral corrective feedback is implemented in the class and its effect on the students’ willingness to communicate. For this purpose, interviews and observations were used to collect data from a teacher and tenth grade students of senior high school in the academic year 2016/2017. The findings showed that there are three types of oral corrective feedback found in the class: explicit correction feedback, metalinguistic feedback, and clarification request feedback. Moreover, the students frequently make phonological errors and semantic errors while speaking. In regard to the students’ uptake, acknowledgement, repetition, off-target, and peer-repair are mostly found from the teacher and students interaction. The students also insist that the teacher’s oral corrective feedback does not disturb teacher and students classroom interaction.

This paper aimed at examining the Iranian EFL teachers and learners’ preferences for two types of direct oral corrective feedback, including explicit correction and metalinguistic clues, and two types of indirect oral corrective feedback, including recast and repetition. The participants included 39 teachers and 84 EFL learners, selected through purposive sampling. A scenario-based questionnaire was constructed based on Lyster and Ranta’s (1997) typology of corrective feedback (CF) for the purpose of collecting data on the teachers and learners’ preferences for the type of CF. Feedback scenarios were extracted from the literature on CF. The questionnaire was distributed to the participants by one of the researchers. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted in order to triangulate the data gathered through the questionnaire. The results of the study indicated that the EFL teachers and learners preferred direct CF more than indirect CF. The results also revealed significant differences among EFL teachers with differing levels of teaching experience (i.e., low, moderate and high). The present study drew attention to the fact that direct types of CF were preferred over others in EFL context. This study has implications for EFL teachers, learners, and material developers.

Previous studies explored teachers’ perceptions regarding different types of oral corrective feedback (OCF) (see e.g. Alshammari & Wicaksono, 2022). They found some similarities and dissimilarities between instructors’ views and their actual choices and practices regarding OCF, with one of the key findings being that recast was the most commonly used, mainly because teachers considered it very effective for their learners’ education (Alshammari & Wicaksono, 2022). This was not in line with most previous research, which found that recast was the predominant oral correction form employed, even though it was considered the least effective. It was mainly used to keep the smoothness of interaction or to prevent the arousal of negative feelings. However, there is a lack of studies investigating learners’ preferences regarding OCF. Therefore, the current research examines learners’ attitudes towards various oral correction strategies, considering the possible influence of multiple variables such as the context, and specifically comparing online vs. traditional learning English language classes.

This study aims to investigate which types of errors lead to which types of corrective feedback and their distribution in university preparatory school speaking classes. Discourse analytic principles were used to analyze the learners' errors and types of oral corrective feedback in communicatively oriented speaking classes. The frequency and distribution of error types and corrective feedback are examined. Three instructors teaching English speaking courses at B1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages in different classes participated in the study. The data, consisting of six videotaped lessons, were transcribed for coding and analysis according to the system proposed by Lyster and Ranta (1997). First, four error types and seven types of corrective feedback were coded and then, the relationship between the feedback type and error type was examined. The results showed that the most commonly used feedback type is recast. This is followed by a translation and explicit correction. Metalinguistic feedback, elicitation, clarification requests, and repetitions are not common feedback types. Looking at the relationship between the type of corrective feedback and the type of error, grammatical errors were the most common type, but were corrected the least. On the other hand, lexical errors were the least frequent but were the most frequently corrected error type.

The current research explores the relationship between the beliefs and the actual classroom practices of the Kurdish teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) regarding oral corrective feedback (OCF). To collect the data required, a questionnaire was administered to 8 Kurdish teachers of EFL of different academic qualifications from three different schools, and likewise a 5-hour audio-recorded classroom observation was carried out with the same sample. The findings revealed that almost all teachers’ beliefs were identical with their actual practices with regard to who should provide OCF. In contrast, there was a discrepancy between their stated beliefs and practices in classroom regarding the timing of OCF, how to provide OCF and which types of errors to correct. The teachers highlighted the importance and the effectiveness of providing corrective feedback in EFL settings.

English as a Foreign Language (EFL) has constituted a major part of the curriculum in private and public institutions in Saudi Arabia for over eight decades. More recently, the emergence of English as a global language has made it a socially desirable language in Saudi society, as elsewhere in the world. However, despite the long history of English teaching in Saudi Arabia and the growth of the profession over the years, the overall English proficiency level of the majority of students is low and unsatisfactory. Saudi researchers have reported many reasons for the ineffectiveness of English Language Teaching (ELT) including, but not limited to, low levels of student motivation, negative attitudes toward English, a substandard English as a Foreign Language (EFL) curriculum, and inefficient teacher pedagogical practices. These problems fall into two major categories: problems related to the lwhyr of teaching and learning of EFL, and problems related to the lhowr of teaching and learning EFL. In investigating these issues, much of this research has been carried out within individual/psychological/structuralist/positivist frameworks, which has failed not only to problematize the complexity of such constructs but also to appreciate the fact that all realities are produced/(re)produced via ldiscourser. Hence, the present study investigated EFL teaching and learning practices by employing Foucauldian and poststructuralist frameworks. This study used poststructuralism not only as a theoretical lens per se, but also established it through the implemented analytical tools and textual representations of the collected data. Employing a poststructuralist discursive perspective made it possible to view EFL teaching and learning as complex social practices, interacting with the discourses of English and ELT practices available in the global as well as the local context(s). These discourses create the nexus between power and knowledge and impact on what an EFL teacher/ learner does within a classroom setting by constructing perspectives of reality through which he or she comes to understand the EFL teaching and learning process in certain ways which constitute epistemological spaces and generate particular practices. Drawing on policy documents, EFL textbooks, classroom observations, interviews with two Saudi EFL teachers, and focus group discussions with Saudi EFL students in two rural areas, the study identified seven discourses circulating within and competing across the examined discursive spaces. The first three discourses are related to English and its values, including: English as a universal language; English as the language for better employment opportunities; and English as the language for spreading religion. The remaining four discourses centred around ELT with exams as an important aspect of EFL learning and ELT; CLT as the key to success in ELT; L1 as a barrier to successful EFL learning; and EFL textbooks as an essential aspect of the processes of EFL learning and ELT. In exploring the production and (re)production of these discourses through the examination of how visibilization, normalisation, exclusionary/inclusionary acts, classification, and subject positioning as discursive strategies are employed, it was found that whether a particular discourse was made visible or invisible depended on other discourses operating across the examined discursive spaces: the social context, the policy, the textbook, the classroom, and the teachers and students. The analysis of the connection(s) and misconnection(s) between these discursive spaces demonstrated that the interplay between the different discourses constructed discursive battlegrounds, which impacted the processes of EFL teaching and learning. Through the investigation of this interplay, it was found that there was a disconnect and an ambivalent relationship between the study participantsr espoused discourses of English and their EFL teaching and learning practices, suggesting that EFL teachers and learners should not be considered lstabler figures, but rather as social agents with discursively constructed ever changing subjectivities. Furthermore, the analyses of the constructions of the discourses operating within the examined policy texts demonstrate an intra disparity and fragmentation. This was manifested in the difference between the ideals of the EFL curriculum and the institutionally imposed regulating techniques, that is, examinations and teachersr assessment practices which had negative effects on EFL teaching and learning dynamics. Additionally, as a consequence of the competition between the different sources of discursive constructions, I found that there was a gulf between the EFL policies and the enactment of these policies in EFL teaching and learning dynamics in the observed EFL classrooms. The findings of this study also indicate that if a discourse promoted through the policy is mediated by discourses operating in the larger societal context, it became more visible in teaching and learning practices as compared to other discourses that did not have social moorings. This suggests that taking the prevailing social expectations into account at the stage of developing any policy is of paramount importance.nThe study concludes with a discussion of the implications of the interplay of connections and misconnections between competing discourses across different spaces in Saudi educational settings for improving the EFL teaching/learning environments in Saudi Arabia and other similar contexts.n

This study investigates differences in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ preferences for oral corrective feedback (OCF) between adolescent boys and girls in mixed-gender (MGC) and same-gender classes (SGC), with particular attention to the emotional dimensions of classroom interaction. While prior research has examined various factors influencing OCF preferences, this is the first to explore how gender and class composition intersect with learners’ emotional experiences, such as anxiety. A 32-item questionnaire was administered to 211 participants (152 females and 59 males). Data analysis using descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon signed rank test indicated that students in SGC requested OCF more frequently and reported greater emotional comfort than those in MGC. In contrast, MGC settings were associated with heightened anxiety, which appeared to influence feedback preferences. These results highlight the importance for EFL teachers to consider both cognitive and affective factors, particularly emotional responses shaped by gender dynamics and classroom context, when delivering OCF to support more effective and emotionally responsive language learning environments

<p>The aim of the present study was to explore the Jordanian EFL teachers' error correction strategies for the classroom oral proficiency at secondary level. For the purpose of obtaining information needed to achieve the objectives of the study, the researchers used the Teacher's Preference Elicitation Questionnaire. This Questionnaire was adapted from Michael (2007) to elicit the types of oral corrective feedback that teachers prefer to use to correct their students' oral errors, grammatical and pronunciation errors. The questionnaire was administered to40 teachers. The findings revealed that the teachers used all types of oral corrective feedback with a grand mean of (3.29) .Meta linguistic feedback , recast, elicitation, instructions and questioning (Peer-correction) were reported to be the most used strategies of oral corrective feedback.</p>

This quasi-experimental study investigated the effects of four oral corrective feedback (OCF) types, namely recast, clarification request, explicit correction, and metalinguistic clues, on the acquisition of English requests by low intermediate Vietnamese university learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) (N = 122) in the context of explicit pragmatic instruction. The control and four treatment groups received six hours of explicit instruction on English requests. Each treatment group received one of the four OCF types. Data were collected using role plays (RP), pragmatic judgment tasks (JT), and journals from the learners after each session. The results demonstrate that all five groups significantly improved their posttest performance in both the JT and RP, and these gains were retained by the time of the delayed posttest, but there were no statistically significant differences among the groups. However, Cohen’s d effect sizes indicate that metalinguistic clues produced the largest gains in the learners’ pragmatic recognition and production, while recasts produced the smallest gains for pragmatic recognition but a similar effect to metalinguistic clues for pragmatic production. The results suggest that teachers should be judicious in selecting the OCF type that suits their instructional goal and task.

In recent years, Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) has been emphasised, specifically in English language teaching. Therefore, investigating English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ perceptions of ESD is a fundamental first step in developing effective EFL curricula and teaching policies. Consequently, this study delved into the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ perceptions of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), examining its role in EFL teaching methodologies and identifying the challenges faced in integrating ESD within the Turkish educational context. In-depth interview data (IDI) was collected from 28 in-service Turkish EFL teachers. Utilising qualitative content analysis (QCA) with open, axial, and selective coding, we found out that Turkish EFL teachers’ perceptions of ESD are multifaceted and shaped by the interdisciplinary nature of EFL teaching, which is fed by Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL). The findings showed that EFL teachers: (1) conceptualised ESD as being related to learning for sustainable practices addressing social, economic and environmental dimensions, and linked ESD to a lifelong learning process that should be implemented at all education levels and supported by critical thinking and problem-solving skills; (2) thought English classes provide ideal venues to teach multiple topics including sustainability, thus reported it as a key responsibility for them to instil in their students, and (3) felt that ESD has yet to be sufficiently reflected in EFL curriculum due to some obstacles such as narrow focus on ESD, limited contact hours of English and lack of parental awareness of ESD. The findings mainly emphasised the significance of an extensive and holistic coverage of ESD at all education levels through engaging and hands-on in-class activities. Further practical suggestions are also provided regarding how EFL teaching policies may be developed to better integrate ESD.

The implementation of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) has provided tremendous opportunities for language teachers to promote their computer literacy and adopt a learner-centered approach to teaching. Accordingly, with the rising advent of language learning technologies, language teachers would occupy a fundamental role in preparing and encouraging students to use various technologies for language learning purposes. In particular, the purpose of this study is to explore the attitudes of Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers toward the implementation of mobile-assisted language learning (MALL). The survey target participants were 168 EFL teachers who worked in a number of language teaching institutions in Iran. In-depth interviews with 55 EFL teachers were conducted as well. The findings from the survey and interview studies indicated moderately positive attitudes of the participants toward the use of mobile phones for language learning and teaching. The findings suggest that the presence of a couple of perceived challenges might be the reason for the nonuse of mobile phones for EFL learning and teaching in Iran. The teachers reported that they do not use any kind of MALL activities or software programs in their EFL courses. Results demonstrated that the EFL teachers did not have the required skills to use/develop MALL activities. The paper proposes recommendations and suggestions on how to implement MALL and remove potential barriers to MALL implementation in EFL contexts.

While there has been much research into teachers’ professional quality in general education, scant attention has been paid to the professional quality of EFL (English as a foreign language) teachers, especially those working in adverse areas, for their sustainable career trajectories. Drawing on Wu’s framework of EFL teachers’ professional quality, this study adopted a mixed-method study design to investigate the professional quality of experienced EFL teachers in China’s rural areas. A questionnaire was administered online to 367 Chinese EFL teachers from 15 high schools in the northeast part of China. Follow-up interviews were then conducted with four volunteers. The results of the exploratory factor analysis produced a two-module structure of teachers’ professional quality, addressing teacher beliefs and English language pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) for their sustainable career development. The teacher belief module addresses beliefs about language teacher learning and development as well as beliefs about foreign language teaching and learning. The English language PCK module includes two subscales: English teaching capacity and English knowledge and skills. Descriptive analysis showed that these participants had high levels of professional quality. Possible explanations for the interpretations of EFL teachers’ professional quality are provided from the qualitative data. Based on the above findings, the paper offers some implications for sustaining EFL teacher development in the future.

Effects of teacher’s personality traits on EFL learners’ foreign language enjoyment

Purpose The present study explores the types and utilization of verbal phatic expressions used by student teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) during classroom interactions. This teaching strategy is perceived as being crucial for communicative EFL teaching especially in high-context cultures. Methodology The present study adopted a qualitative approach utilizing a descriptive research design to address the research inquiries. The data collection process involved a series of observations and semi-structured interviews, with a cohort of seven participants. Results/Findings The findings indicate the existence of twelve types of phatic expressions observed in the study. These encompass greetings, small talk, compliments, apologies, expressions of gratitude, farewells, polite phrases, affirmative expressions, negative responses, interjections, hedges, and filler words. Meanwhile, an examination of the data revealed that among the various phatic expressions employed by EFL student teachers in the context of classroom interaction, ten of them were found to be the most frequently utilized. These include greetings, small talk, compliments, apologies, expressions of gratitude, farewells, polite phrases, affirmative expressions, hedges, and filler words. The utilization of these expressions by student teachers served the purpose of facilitating a seamless continuity of interaction within the classroom. Implications This qualitative study presents pedagogical implications that are relevant to both EFL teachers and students, as it highlights the significance of exposure to both language competence and performance in the educational setting.

This study explores secondary level English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers’ perceptions about Project-Based Language Teaching (PBLT) in terms of its benefits in EFL classrooms. Moreover, it investigates the challenges EFL teachers face while implementing it in English language instruction and recommends the solutions as perceived by the EFL teachers in the EFL context of Nepal. Backing up with theoretical perspectives on PBLT approach, this study adopts phenomenological qualitative research design to analyze the data obtained from the in-depth interviews conducted with three secondary level EFL teachers from three schools of Kailali district of Nepal. This study reveals that even though EFL teachers have knowledge about the importance and benefits of using PBLT in English language teaching, they still face some ideological, pedagogical and operational challenges in effective implementation of PBLT in classrooms. However, the EFL teachers suggest some solutions to overcome the challenges for successful implementation of PBLT for better language teaching and learning.