THE IMPACT OF CORRECTIVE FEEDBACK ON IRANIAN EFL LEARNERS’ WRITING COMPLEXITY, ACCURACY, AND FLUENCY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol6iss2pp250-272Abstract
Background/Purpose: Corrective feedback (CF) has gained considerable importance in language teaching research recently. However, less attention has been paid to its use in an Iranian context. This study aims to investigate the impact of CF on Iranian intermediate EFL learners’ Complexity (C), Accuracy (A), and Fluency (F) in their writing production.
Methodology: After administering an Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT), the researcher selected 30 Iranian intermediate learners at a private English language institute in Isfahan, Iran and divided them into two groups of 15 randomly. An Oxford placement test was run to ensure the two groups were homogenous. Writing tasks were developed to examine the participants’ writing performance. The experimental group attended the class in which CF was performed, and they received feedback from the teachers and their partners in the class (by crossing out and explaining) during the writing tasks on how to use the correct forms of the words and tenses. The control group attended the class in which CF was performed briefly. At the end of the study, all subjects participated in paragraph writing. A test analysis was performed to compare the group means for the study. The difference between the experimental and the control groups was important.
Findings: Independent and sample t-tests revealed that the participants in the experimental group outperformed the ones in the control group in writing production. The results indicated that the participants who received CF did better than those who did not. Therefore, the findings generally revealed that CF significantly affected Iranian intermediate EFL learners’ writing complexity, accuracy, and fluency.
Contributions: This study has multiple benefits for language learners and teachers. Utilizing CF in writing classes can be a practical way to improve students’ proficiency and writing skills. In addition, this study draws attention to the Complexity, Accuracy, and Fluency (CAF) of written production.
Keywords: Corrective feedback, complexity, accuracy, fluency, Iranian Intermediate EFL learners.
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