Exploring the use of models as a written corrective feedback technique among EFL children

Abstract

The language learning potential of models, a form of written feedback consisting of native-like texts that students compare with their original composition, has been under-represented in studies on EFL child SLA. In particular, there is a need to gather data from larger samples of participants and to use delayed post-tests to assess whether potential positive effects of models are sustained over time. The aim of the present study is to analyze what EFL primary school children notice and incorporate during a four-stage collaborative writing task. The participants in the study were 38 11-12-year-old children divided into a treatment group (TG, n = 18), which received a model, and a control group (CG, n = 20), which self-edited their texts. The children’s pair talk was analyzed for evidence of any content and linguistic problems they noticed during the composition or comparison stages. The findings show that children in the TG noticed significantly more lexical and content-related features at the comparison stage. Moreover, the TG incorporated significantly more mechanics- and discourse-related features than the CG into the rewriting stage, and also a significantly higher number of formal and discursive aspects into the post-test. Our findings point to the apparent benefits of models with this population.