What role do individual differences What role do individual differences play in the way L2 learners play in the way L2 learners

respond to corrective feedback?respond to corrective feedback?

Rod EllisRod Ellis

University of AucklandUniversity of Auckland

What is corrective feedback?What is corrective feedback?

Corrective feedback takes the form of Corrective feedback takes the form of responses to learner utterances containing responses to learner utterances containing an error. The responses can consist of (1) an error. The responses can consist of (1) an indication that an error has been an indication that an error has been committed, or (2) provision of the correct committed, or (2) provision of the correct target language form or (3) metalinguistic target language form or (3) metalinguistic information about the nature of the error, information about the nature of the error, or any combination of these. or any combination of these.

Lyster and Ranta’s (1997) taxonomy

Lyster & Ranta (1997) distinguish the following types of corrective feedback occurring in French immersion classrooms in Canada:

• Explicit correction – this refers to the explicit provision of the correct form together with an explicit indication that what the learner said was incorrect.

• Recasts – a reformulation of all or part of a learner’s utterance, minus the error.

• Clarification requests – an indication that the learner’s utterance has been misunderstood (e.g. ‘pardon?’)

• Metalinguistic feedback – comments, information or questions related to the well-formedness of the learner’s utterance without explicitly providing the correct form.

• Elicitation – an attempt to directly elicit the correct form from the learner (e.g. prompts involving partial repetition of the learner’s utterance with a blank for the learner to complete).

• Repetition – repetition of the learner’s utterance with or without highlighting the error.

UptakeUptake

Uptake refers to the learner’s utterance that Uptake refers to the learner’s utterance that imemdiately follows the teacher’s feedback and imemdiately follows the teacher’s feedback and that constitutes a reaction in some way to the that constitutes a reaction in some way to the teacher’s intention to draw to some aspect of the teacher’s intention to draw to some aspect of the learner’s initial utterance. Uptake can take the learner’s initial utterance. Uptake can take the form of ‘needs repair’ (unsuccessful) or ‘repair’ form of ‘needs repair’ (unsuccessful) or ‘repair’ (successful). Successful uptake is indicative of (successful). Successful uptake is indicative of ‘noticing’. However, uptake cannot be viewed as ‘noticing’. However, uptake cannot be viewed as a measure of acquisition.a measure of acquisition.

Key Issues (1)Key Issues (1)

What role does corrective feedback play in What role does corrective feedback play in L2 acquiisition?L2 acquiisition?

Negative evidence - this arises when the Negative evidence - this arises when the feedback signals that the learner’s feedback signals that the learner’s utterance contains an errorutterance contains an error

Positive evidence - this arises when the Positive evidence - this arises when the feedback shows the learner what the feedback shows the learner what the correct form of his/her error is.correct form of his/her error is.

Key Issues (2)Key Issues (2)

What type of corrective feedback works What type of corrective feedback works best for language acquisition?best for language acquisition?

Implicit feedbackImplicit feedback Explicit feedbackExplicit feedback

Key Issues (3)Key Issues (3)

What role do individual differences play in What role do individual differences play in the effect that corrective feedback the effect that corrective feedback

has on acquisition?has on acquisition? Cognitive factors (e.g. language aptitude/ Cognitive factors (e.g. language aptitude/

working memory)working memory) Affective factors (e.g. motivation/ anxiety/ Affective factors (e.g. motivation/ anxiety/

personality)personality)