Translingual Oral Corrective Feedback in an Arabic as a Heritage Language Classroom in the USA

Abstract

Over the years, a sweeping interest in translanguaging practices and corrective feedback (CF) in parallel has received momentum in instructed SLA research. Whereas previous CF studies focused on CF interactions and factors affecting L2 learning, this study examined how translanguaging intertwined with CF in Arabic as a Heritage Language learning in a sixth-grade class at a K-12 school in the USA. The research data resulted from twenty hours of class observations, interviews with the class teacher, and ten randomly selected participating students. The data were coded based on Ranta and Lyster’s (2007) CF types and uptake moves taxonomy. The results showed that the teacher's translanguaging practices helped learners engage in pedagogical tasks and CF interactions, leading to effective Arabic language learning. The teacher provided five CF types—explicit correction, recast, metalinguistic feedback, elicitation, and multiple feedback. Metalinguistic feedback, recast, and multiple feedback accounted for 72% of CF, where recasts received the highest uptake and repair rates (95% and 87%, respectively), and the other types of CF also led to high uptake and repair moves. This study suggests that CF can be effective when teachers employ translanguaging during CF interactions, positively address learner errors, and motivate learners’ in-class participation.