Learning Corrected Target Forms: Students’ Corrective Feedback through Teacher’s Written Corrective Feedback in Iranian EFL Context

Abstract

As a result of Truscott's (1996) claim that written corrective feedback (WCF) should be abandoned because it is both ineffective and harmful, different opinions about the value of WCF have been voiced. The aim of this article was to investigate (1) the possible effect of WCF on accurate use of quantifiers over a 2-month period; (2) the possible differential effectiveness for three types of feedback. Seventy EFL students at junior high school in Iran formed a control group and three experimental groups (1) those who received direct WCF with written metalinguistic explanation; (2) direct corrective feedback only; (3) indirect WCF. The subject in experimental groups accomplished a collaborative task (correcting five weak examinees' papers) in pairs. Then on three occasions (pre-test, immediate post-test and delayed post-test) the participants were asked to complete seventeen grammar items and write sentences about the given picture. The study found that each of the WCF groups significantly outperformed the control group on immediate post-test and this level of accuracy was retained 2 month later. Furthermore, no meaningful difference in effectiveness was found between the three WCF groups.