The changes in EFL learners’ writing accuracy, syntactic complexity and content complexity.

Abstract

This study compares form-focused and content-focused feedback in terms of the changes in learners’ written accuracy, syntactic complexity and content complexity. It also examines the students’ attitudes towards teacher’s feedback. In particular, it explores their opinions about the benefits of the feedback they received, the type of feedback they preferred the most and their suggestions regarding the way their teachers should deliver feedback. The study also identifies some potential factors that affect learners’ responses towards form-focused and content-focused feedback. These objectives are achieved by conducting a quasi-experiment followed by focus groups and individual interviews. The findings of the study revealed no significant differences between form-focused and content-focused feedback groups in terms of the changes in writing accuracy, syntactic complexity and content complexity. These findings were attributable to some potential factors such as students’ proficiency level, students’ unfamiliarity with teachers’ feedback, students’ difficulties to follow teachers’ feedback and other factors. The findings also revealed that the learners value and appreciate receiving feedback on form or feedback on content or a combination of both types of feedback on their writing. However, there are some difficulties that they faced when processing feedback such as the teachers’ use of complex language, students’ unfamiliarity with some grammar rules and students’ motivation to write and to receive feedback. The learners offered some suggestions on the way their teachers should deliver feedback. Most of them emphasized the importance of constructive feedback (i.e., feedback which contains motivating and encouraging comments) and how it impacts their writing development. Others suggested that peer feedback could be more helpful because it makes them feel comfortable and less embarrassed. They also held different views about the amount of feedback, some preferred feedback on all their errors, others want from teachers to target certain errors and give them time to work on them. These findings imply that teachers should review their feedback practices and their perceptions of teaching writing and look for alternative ways to develop students writing skills other than correcting grammar errors. L2 writing teachers should also be aware of the complexity of language in their content feedback and ensure that students receive enough explanations on how to correct their content-related problems. In addition, teachers are reminded to use feedback in ways that increase students' motivation to write. Finally, teachers should also consider the benefits of using peer feedback in their classrooms.

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ORCID for Roumyana Slabakova: orcid.org/0000-0002-5839-460X

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