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Effects of Indirect Corrective Feedback With and Without Written Languaging on L2 Written Accuracy: A Multitask Intervention Study

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Abstract

The present study investigated the effect of written languaging (WL) based on indirect written corrective feedback (WCF) on Chinese EFL (English as a foreign language) learners’ written accuracy. WL refers to using the written mode to reflect upon and reason about language use. Two groups of students participated in the study over 16 weeks. Both received indirect WCF on four essays, with one group further engaging in WL and the other, without. Baseline writing and its revisions, respectively used as pre-tests and posttests, as well as immediate and delayed revisions of the four essays were employed to measure the two groups’ written accuracy. Data analyses revealed that although both groups significantly improved their written accuracy, no significant differences were observed between them, signifying the insignificant role of WL in enhancing the efficacy of indirect WCF. In light of published literature and participants’ languaging quality, the study concludes that WL could play a diagnostic role in promoting the efficacy of indirect WCF.

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Funding

We would like to acknowledge the anonymous reviewers' insightful and inspiring feedback as well as the valuable comments of Professor Chuming Wang and Dr Shulin Yu on earlier drafts of this paper. Our sincere thanks also go to the student participants of the study. This work was supported by the Ministry of Education Project of the Centre for Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, and the Bilingual Cognition and Development Lab, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies (GDUFS), P. R. China, as well as the GDUFS teaching research grant (No. GWJY2017008) and the GDUFS International Language-service-oriented Foreign Language and Literature Creative Construction Project (No. 101-GK17GS52).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of English Language and Culture, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, No. 2 Baiyun Avenue North, Guangzhou, 510420, People’s Republic of China

    Ruiying Niu

  2. Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, China

    Xiaoye You

  3. Department of English, Pennsylvania State University, 410 Burrowes Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    Xiaoye You

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  1. Ruiying Niu
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  2. Xiaoye You
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Correspondence to Ruiying Niu.

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Niu, R., You, X. Effects of Indirect Corrective Feedback With and Without Written Languaging on L2 Written Accuracy: A Multitask Intervention Study. Asia-Pacific Edu Res 29, 343–351 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-019-00488-8

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