A Study on College Students’ English Writing Accuracy and Their Perception in an Indirect Written Corrective Feedback Program

• Main Authors: CHIU, HSIAO-CHI, 邱曉淇
• Other Authors: LIAO, MING-TZU
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2017
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/3evmv5

碩士 === 國立高雄師範大學 === 英語學系 === 105 === The purposes of the present study are to investigate the effects of indirect written corrective feedback (WCF) on students’ English writing accuracy before and after the treatments. In addition, students’ perceptions regarding their attitudes and preferences after receiving two types of indirect WCF were explored. The participants in the present study involved 26 freshmen students from Tamkang University (TKU). During the 12-week writing practice, each student was required to complete six pieces of writings, which were a pre-test, two assignments, two revisions, and a post-test. Based on the results of pre-test, students were divided into two groups, coded and uncoded indirect WCF groups. Moreover, a pre-study questionnaire and a post-study questionnaire were delivered before and after the treatments in order to investigate students’ personal background and their perceptions of indirect WCF respectively. Furthermore, in order to have an in-depth understanding for students’ perceptions of indirect WCF, follow-up interviews were conducted. The findings of the present study are summarized as follows. First, regarding participants English writing accuracy based on the rating scale, it was found that students made improvement before and after the treatments. In addition, students’ English writing accuracy was assessed based on the rating scale’s three aspects (word choice, sentence structure, and grammar, capitalization, spelling and punctuation), and it was found that students in the uncoded group made significant improvement in the aspect of grammar, capitalization, spelling, and punctuation whereas the coded group did not. Second, in terms of English writing accuracy based on the percentage of error free T-unit, from assignments to revisions, both coded and uncoded groups were able to produce significantly more accurate pieces of revisions based on the given coded/uncoded WCF. Third, students’ perceptions of indirect WCF were investigated and it was discovered that students generally considered the type of indirect WCF (coded/uncoded) they received to be useful and helpful in improving their English writing accuracy. Furthermore, most of the students reflected that the type of indirect WCF they received made them confident in producing better revisions. Fourth, in addition to students’ attitudes toward indirect WCF, students’ preferences for error corrections were also explored, and it was revealed that when students were given choices other than indirect WCF, they expressed that they would prefer to receive direct WCF with codes in their writings. On the basis of the findings in the present study, four pedagogical implications are proposed as follows. First, indirect WCF (coded and uncoded) could gradually facilitate students’ English writing accuracy. Therefore, for English writing instructors, if they consider utilizing indirect WCF in their writing classes, they could have two options, coded and uncoded indirect WCF. Second, coded and uncoded WCF could help students to improve their English writing accuracy to a certain extent. English writing instructors could adopt indirect WCF while giving students error corrections to save time and enhance students’ English writing accuracy. Third, students generally considered coded/uncoded WCF they received to be acceptable and fair. Therefore, English writing instructors could be relatively more confident in incorporating indirect WCF into teaching of English writing. Fourth, it was revealed that students preferred to receive direct WCF with codes rather than indirect WCF. Hence, for EFL English writing instructors, students’ appraisal for error codes could be taken under consideration when giving WCF.