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A Study on the Effects of Feedback Types on Second Language Acquisition by EFL Learners in Business English Writing

Author: LiangFengJuan
Tutor: CaiZuo
School: Guangdong University of Foreign Studies
Course: Foreign Linguistics and Applied Linguistics
Keywords: feedback types noticing form-focused instruction language acquisition
CLC: H319
Type: Master's thesis
Year: 2009
Downloads: 304
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Abstract


The role of corrective feedback in second language(L2) development has been a controversial topic as a result of Truscott’s claim that it is both ineffective and harmful to provide feedback to students’ writing and should therefore be abandoned.This thesis investigates the effects of three feedback types,content comments(feedback on content), written error correction and written error correction + form-focused instruction,on the acquisition of L2 forms by Chinese English as a foreign language(EFL) learners in Business English writing based on the theoretical framework derived from the Function of Negative Evidence,the Noticing Hypothesis and Form-focused Instruction.The study was implemented in four intact Business English classes from Guangdong Women’s Polytechnic College.The four groups of learners received three different types of feedback.One type of feedback on content(content comments) and two types of feedback on form,written error correction and written error correction + form-focused instruction were chosen as the feedback types to be examined.The group of learners who received content comments served as the control group.The study consisted of a pretest, an immediate and a delayed posttest.The three tests contained a Grammaticality Judgment and a Proof Reading Test.They were conducted thrice in the three tests to measure learners’ knowledge of the target L2 forms before and after the treatment.The procedures were as follows:First,the learners took the pretest.Then,two control writing tasks were conducted,after which different types of feedback were provided to the learners’ compositions.Finally,the learners received the immediate and delayed posttests. A questionnaire was carried out after all the data of the quantitative study were collected.Two major findings emerged from the studies.The within-group comparisons showed that the control group,who had received content comments,manifested no statistically significant improvement in the acquisition of target L2 forms,while those who had received either type of feedback on form,written error correction or written error correction + form-focused instruction,made statistically significant improvement in acquiring the target L2 forms in both the immediate and delayed posttests.Besides,the results from the questionnaire showed that feedback on form could draw learners’ attention to form,and thus resulted in intake and acquisition.Moreover,the results of the between-group comparisons showed written error correction + form-focused instruction could generate better effect in facilitating language acquisition than written error correction only,while the latter outperformed content comments.The findings from the questionnaire showed that written error correction + form-focused instruction could draw larger quantity and higher level of learners’ attention to linguistic form than written error correction only;form-focused instruction(meta-linguistic explanation) could provide the learners with an opportunity for clarification,instruction,and negotiation and help learners achieve better understanding of the written error correction.Thus,it is suggested that teachers provide form-focused instruction following the written error correction to achieve better effect of teaching and learning.Moreover,as every feedback type has its own advantages and disadvantages,when choosing feedback types,teachers should be cautious and take into consideration such factors as the complexity of target L2 forms,the language proficiency of the learners,the learning goals and the teaching requirement of the course,etc..

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CLC: > Language, writing > FOREIGN > English > Language teaching
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