Exploring the Teachers’ Use of Spoken Corrective Feedback in Teaching Iranian EFL Learners at Different Levels of Proficiency

Abstract

In learning a foreign language, making error is an indispensible part of learning process. Finely tuned and pertinent corrective feedback is an important tool for teachers to prevent their learners’ errors from getting fossilized and help them progress along their interlanguage continuum. There are different factors contributing to efficacy of corrective feedback among which is taking into consideration proficiency level of learners in choosing corrective feedback techniques. In this study the researcher used a database of 360 corrective feedback moves which two EFL teachers provided to their learners at three levels of proficiency. Eight types of corrective feedback were identified and their distribution in relation to proficiency levels of learners was determined. The results revealed that recast was the most frequently used type of corrective feedback by the teachers at all three levels of proficiency. However, as the learners became more proficient the teachers reduced recasts and incorporated other self correction techniques.