The relative effectiveness of different types of direct written corrective feedback

Abstract

The effectiveness of different types of written corrective feedback has been investigated over the last twenty years but it is still not possible to make firm conclusions about which options are the most beneficial to ESL learners. This article first provides an overview of the currently available research findings and then presents the results of a six month study of the relative effectiveness of providing thirty-nine low intermediate ESL learners in Auckland, New Zealand, with three different direct written corrective feedback options. Assigned to three groups (direct corrective feedback, written and oral meta-linguistic explanation; direct corrective feedback and written meta-linguistic e..