Students’ Perceptions of 4D Feedback Treatment on EFL Writing in Oman

Abstract

Getting to know students’ perspectives of the educational practices we do in classes can assist us in having a more thorough picture of the effectiveness of the practice type. Taking affective factors for granted restricts our perceptions of the practice and makes our understanding one-sided. This chapter aims to explore the impacts of languaging and 4D feedback on the students’ writing from the viewpoints of EFL students in a foundation programme in Oman. The 4D feedback model proposed by the authors of the chapter is underpinned by languaging and extended practice, and includes the four stages of Dialogue (supervised-oral languaging), Drill (extended practice), Discovery, and Dialogue (group-oral languaging). To obtain data, a focus group interview was conducted and participants were given opportunities to reflect on the different stages of the feedback and on their experience with languaging. Findings of the chapter suggest that 4D feedback assists noticing and boosts student engagement with feedback from the students’ perspectives. The chapter supports Swain’s (Languaging, agency and collaboration in advanced language proficiency. In H. Byrnes (Ed.), Advanced language learning: The contribution of Halliday and Vygotsky (pp. 95–108). London: Continuum, 2009) belief that languaging is a key mediating tool in helping students to identify gaps in their linguistic knowledge.