The Effects of Written Corrective Feedback on Moroccan Undergraduate EFL Learners' Output

Abstract

The present piece of research is an attempt to examine the effects of written feedback on EFL learners' writing skills. It aims to demonstrate whether WCF has any role in learner's uptake of the target form and grammatical accuracy development. Essentially, it puts forward the critical role of written feedback in triggering students' attention and processing of the correct form. It also aims to show whether feedback on students' writing helps them gain the ability to come up with a more accurate production and to see whether the strategies used by the teacher lead to different degrees of noticing and processing. In order to approach these objectives, the present study adopted an exploratory design. It combined two salient research paradigms, namely the quantitative and the qualitative ones. The study also opted for triangulation so as to approach reliability and validity which are essential characteristics of a good research study. The research questions and objectives were addressed in a questionnaire administered to a total of 111 participants, in addition to a focus group and analysis of a sample of EFL learners' portfolios. The data gathered were analysed and reported on both quantitatively and qualitatively. Accordingly, the results showed that a good majority of EFL learners at M5 University prefer receiving feedback on their mistakes. It also showed that teachers tend to use different error correction strategies to react to different sorts of mistakes. Moreover, many students are aware of the effects WCF may have on their written production. Still, the amount of feedback they receive is not as important as its quality. It was demonstrated that WCF may also have some light side effects, yet the advantages of the latter outnumber the potential negative effects it might have. These results can be reconsidered in further research from the point of view of teachers.