The University Students’ Beliefs towards Corrective Feedback in Learning English as Foreign Language in Pakistan

Abstract

The present study is carried out in English as a foreign language (EFL) experimental classroom at Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering & Information Technology Rahim Yar Khan, Pakistan to investigate the Pakistani EFL learners' beliefs towards written CF in L2 writing. Two types of Written CF: Direct and Indirect feedback, were provided during four weeks of study period in written tasks to the two groups (direct feedback and feedback group) and third was provided only metalinguistic information (Controlled group). The students were divided into two groups: experimental group provided with CF (Direct and Indirect), control group. The students in the experimental group were compared to a control group which was provided with no corrective feedback. BS level adult learners (n= 40) were randomly assigned to write short essay/Gap Fill/ Timed grammatical Task during four successive weeks. Afterwards, they were asked to fill in a questionnaire (k=21), at the post-test time. Correlation between participants’ beliefs about written CF and the effectiveness of those beliefs was measured by an attitudinal questionnaire. The students’ performance was also checked through written test battery. The results of this study revealed the learners’ beliefs about errors’ corrections, the writing activities, and various types of CF. The study also suggested the significant role of learners’ beliefs in mediating language accuracy in writing tasks.