The Effect of Direct Vs. Indirect Written Corrective Feedback on L2 Learners Written Accuracy in EFL Context

Abstract

Controversies still exist as which form of corrective feedback (direct or indirect) is more useful in improving EFL student’s written accuracy. The results of previous studies are very mixed. The aim of the present study is to investigate which kind of feedback (direct or indirect) is useful in improving EFL student’s written accuracy. For the purpose of the study 30 male and female intermediate English language learners affiliated to Zaban Sara Language Institute, Maragheh Branch, East Azerbaijan, Iran, were selected. They were selected intact group design on the basis of their performance on the pre-test. Their written performance on the tasks was analyzed according to the measures introduced by Ellis (2008). T-test and ANOVA were used as the statistical means of analysis. The result of the study showed that participants who received direct corrective feedback outperformed those received indirect corrective feedback in terms of written accuracy. The study might carry some pedagogical implications for second language teachers, SLA researchers, teacher education, and task designers.