Abstract
<p>Corrective feedback (CF) refers to the responses or treatments from teachers to a learner’s nontargetlike second language (L2) production. CF has been a crucial and controversial topic in the discipline of second language acquisition (SLA). Some SLA theorists believe that CF is harmful to L2 acquisition and should be ruled out completely while others regard CF as an essential catalyst for L2 development. The last two decades have witnessed a dramatic increase in empirical research on the effectiveness of CF. This article, with an aim to provide an informed knowledge of the potential role of CF, briefly traces the history of research on CF and proposes some recommendations for further studies. It starts by surveying a range of theoretical stances on the role of error and error correction (also known as CF) in SLA. It then moves into detailed discussion of three issues on CF heatedly debated either within a cognitive or a sociocultural framework. By examining the empirical findings, some possible topics for further studies are uncovered.</p>
Highlights
Corrective feedback (CF), known as error correction or grammar correction, is a crucial means adopted by teachers to treat learners’ errors in second language (L2) classroom
Only scant research has addressed the potential role of CF within sociocultural approach, more exactly, within the theory of zone of proximal development (ZPD) proposed by Vygotsky (1978), whose philosophy is that a developmental zone within which learners are collaboratively enabled to do something they would not otherwise be able to do on their own
There are diverging stances on the role of error and CF. It seems that early approaches like Contrastive Analysis (CA), Error Analysis (EA) and Monitor Model eliminate the role of CF; recent approaches influenced either by cognitive or sociocultural perspectives believe that CF, to some extent, facilitates L2 learning
Summary
Corrective feedback (CF), known as error correction or grammar correction, is a crucial means adopted by teachers to treat learners’ errors in second language (L2) classroom. Contrastive Analysis and Error analysis, in essence, echo Behaviorist views and study the source of error, in an attempt to prevent them. They fail to explain why learners continue to make errors in language practice despite various types of intervention (including CF). Two key topics are heatedly discussed, which are the effects of CF on target grammatical structures or overall language development for one thing, and the comparison of different CF strategies for another. It endeavors to provide an overal picture of CF research and to help move the field forward, with a range of recommendations for further research
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