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Investigating Learner Engagement with Oral Corrective Feedback: Aims, Methodology, Outcomes

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Book cover Awareness in Action

Part of the book series: Second Language Learning and Teaching ((SLLT))

Abstract

The last decade has seen major developments in research into the effects of oral corrective feedback, a phenomenon that can be attributed to renewed interest in the role of form-focused instruction, of which error correction can be seen as an integral part. Most of these studies have attempted to explore the relative value of different feedback moves, particularly those that differ in terms of their explicitness (e.g. recasts vs. metalinguistic feedback) and the requirement for the production of output (e.g. recasts vs. prompts) (cf. Sheen 2010a, b; Sheen and Ellis 2011). While the findings of such research are insightful, the impact of correction on the mastery of specific linguistic features in terms of long-term learning outcomes is also a function of a variety of mediating variables (e.g. aptitude, motivation, anxiety) and learners’ engagement with the negative evidence (Ellis 2011). This engagement can be understood as the behavioral, cognitive or affective response to corrective moves and it could be argued that it determines to a large extent whether or not the information contained in the feedback is attended to, noticed and processed in the right way. Unfortunately, empirical evidence in this area is extremely scarce, and there is an urgent need for more research that would illuminate this important issue. The aim of this chapter is to provide an overview of the aims, methodology and outcomes of the empirical investigations conducted so far, indicate areas requiring improvement, and point to future directions of research into learners’ awareness of the corrective feedback they receive.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Adam Mickiewicz University, Kalisz, Poland

    Mirosław Pawlak

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  1. Mirosław Pawlak
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Correspondence to Mirosław Pawlak .

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  1. Institute of English, University of Silesia, Sosnowiec, Poland

    Andrzej Łyda

  2. Institute of English, University of Silesia, Sosnowiec, Poland

    Konrad Szcześniak

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Pawlak, M. (2014). Investigating Learner Engagement with Oral Corrective Feedback: Aims, Methodology, Outcomes. In: Łyda, A., Szcześniak, K. (eds) Awareness in Action. Second Language Learning and Teaching. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-00461-7_5

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