The Role of Intrinsic Motivation and Oral Corrective Feedback in the EFL Classroom

Abstract

Research on oral corrective feedback has been widely investigated in the second/foreign language classroom (L2). This study addressed the relationship between intrinsic motivation (IM), classroom behavior, teachers’ motivational practices, and oral corrective feedback in an EFL formal setting. It was carried out on a sample of 75 undergraduate students of English at ISLT. Data were collected through a motivational questionnaire, interviews, a classroom observation sheet, and tape recorders. Aligned with the self-determination theory (SDT), this study resulted in the development of a motivational classroom model using path analysis. Results revealed that teachers’ motivational practices were positively related to oral corrective feedback as they have a direct positive effect on learners’ classroom behavior. Besides, results indicated that learners’ IM is promoted by implicit oral corrective feedback. These results sustained the importance of a supportive-informative environment that sustains learners’ autonomy.