petrovietnam petrovietnam university phuong, b. m. learners' reactions & responses toward...

PETROVIETNAMPETROVIETNAM UNIVERSITY

Phuong, B. M.

Learners' Reactions & Responses toward

Teacher Written Feedback in Writing

Skill:

A Case-study in EFL Classes in Vietnam

Presenter : Phuong BuiEmail :[email protected]

Foreign Language Center

Objectives

1. Introduction & Rationale for the study

2. Scope & Aims

3. Methodologies

4. Results & Discussion

2


Introduction

Writing: essential & difficult!

ESL learners’ difficulties in learning writing

English:

− Less chance of using English

− Different language functions and styles, etc.

ESL learners want to know how well they are

performing & how they can improve their skills.

3


Introduction

To review what they have doneTo know their strengths and weaknessesTo enhance their writing abilityTo avoid making same mistakes…

Providing Feedback is one of the most essential

tasks of writing teachers (Ferris, 2007).

4


Introduction

Research shows that:

Teacher feedback has a strong impact on learners’ determination about writing in a given composition (Taylor & Hoedt, 1966)

Teacher feedback is one of the strongest influences on students’ outcomes (Alton & Lee, 2003).

Teacher feedback is desirable & valuable for students; they pay attention to teacher feedback & it helps to enhance their writing (Cohen & Cavalcanti, 1990; Ferris, 1995b; Hedgcock & Lefkowitz, 1994, 1996).

Etc.

5


Introduction

The definite conclusion of teacher feedback’s effectiveness has not been given yet.

Within the field of L2 learning, teacher feedback still remains one of the biggest concerns amongst ESL educators and learners.

6


Introduction

For teachers to provide effective feedback & avoid misunderstanding (Lee, 2008).

For learners to utilize teacher feedback & improve their writing skills

Focus on: Teacher feedback methods, influences of teachers’ comments, learners’ expectation & references, etc.

There is a need to understand learners’ reactions and responses to teacher written feedback.

7


Focus of the study

ESL learners’ responses, reactions & expectation toward different types of TWF.

Teachers’ methods in giving feedback (characteristics of teacher written feedback)

The language issues that concern writing learners.

8


Scope and aims

1. What are the characteristics of the two writing teachers in giving written feedback? What are the similarities and differences?

2. To what extent do students evaluate the usefulness of their teachers’ written feedback?

3. What are the students’ reactions and responses when receiving their TWF?

4. What are the students’ preferences and expectations in types of TWF, and teachers’ techniques of giving feedback in two classes?

9


Brief literature review

Teacher written feedback in writing(1) Form-focused feedback: grammar-correction, or error

correction. a. Direct feedback: direct correction b. Coded feedback: indirect correction (with codes, such

as: s.p, v.t, etc)c. Uncoded feedback: identify errors by highlighting,

underlining, circling, etc.

(2) Content-based feedback: meaning-based or meaning related feedback.

(3) Integrated feedback: as a combination of the grammar correction and the content-based feedback.

(Park, 2006)10


Methodologies

Participants

− 49 second year English major students from two classes (Class A and class B) at the Faculty of English Teacher Education, University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University Hanoi.

− Two writing teachers of Class A & Class B.

11


Methodologies

Data collection methods

− Questionnaire: 11 Questions (both close-

ended & open-ended); written in simple English.

− Focus-group interview: 02 meeting with 2

classes, an open forum.

− Document analysis: Students’ writing

portfolios.

12


Results and discussion

RQ1: What are the characteristics of the two writing teachers in

giving written feedback? What are the similarities and

differences?

13

Methods in giving written feedback

Teacher A Teacher B

Error/mistake correction 5 12

Error/mistake identification 29 19

Coded error/mistake identification

18 18

Content-based feedback 4 2

Integrated-feedback 13 30

Total of times 69 81





differences?

14

SIMILARITIES

Apply 5 methods in giving FBProvide comments at marginal and

at the end of students’ paper.Provide both negative and positive

comments





differences?

Teacher A: - Error/mistake identification (29 times): Mostly circling,

underlining mistakes.

-Coded error/mistake identification (18 times)

- Integrated feedback (13 times)

15





differences?

Teacher B: - Integrated feedback (30 times): carefully stated out both

students’ errors in terms of language use, content and ideas.

-Error identification (19 times)

- Coded error identification (18 times)

- Applied both “Error correction” and “Error identification”

in 1 paper sometimes.

16



RQ2: To what extent and in what way do students evaluate

the usefulness of their teachers’ written feedback?

Learners were asked to rank the effectiveness of five types of TWF

according to their level of priority from 01 – very low to 05 – very

high.

17

Types of teacher written feedback I find helpful

Mean S.D

Class A Class B Class A Class B

1.Error/mistake correction 2.7 3.4 1.5 1.22.Error/mistake identification

2.8 1.9 1.2 1.0

3.Coded error/mistake identification

3.0 2.3 1.4 1.1

4.Content-based feedback 2.6 2.7 1.3 1.25.Integrated-feedback 3.6 4.5 1.8 1.1





-Integrated-feedback is rated as highly effective by

respondents from both class.

- In class A, except for Integrated-feedback, there was no big

difference between those 4 types (low-moderately helpful).

- In class B, there was clear evidence that students preferred

two specific types (“Integrated-feedback” and “Error/mistake

correction”) than the other three.

18





-When being asked if they felt that TWF help to enhance their

writing ability, 100% learners in two classes were

overwhelmingly affirmative confirmed that TWF were helpful

with different reasons.

19



RQ3: What are the students’ reactions and responses

when receiving their TWF?

- The majority of students often made the correction

themselves after reading TWF, in which the mistakes were

singled out by teacher, and then ask peers to check.

-A smaller number of learners asked friends for help if they did

not understand how to correct the mistakes, or how to follow

TWF.

- Just few students approached their teacher asking for help

when they did not understand/ know how to correct their

mistakes. 20



RQ3: What are the students’ reactions and responses

when receiving their TWF?

- When being asked about the reasons they rarely approached

teachers for further explanations, some of students in class B

claimed that the TWF were already detailed and

understandable, therefore they preferred discussing with peers

rather than talking with teacher; whereas some students in

class A did not approach their teacher because they were

“afraid” that they might bother her.

21



RQ4: What are the students’ preferences and expectations

in types of TWF, and teachers’ techniques of giving

feedback in two classes?

-50% students in class A and 68% in class B preferred to

receive ”Integrated-feedback”, following was “Error/mistake

correction” chosen by a smaller number of participants

(16.7% in class A and 24% in class B).

- “Error/mistake identification” and Coded error/mistake

identification” are the least desirable feedback.

22


Discussion

ESL English major Vietnamese learners in the two classes

valued TWF and found TWF valuable. This finding confirmed

what many researches in various ESL contexts had claimed

through years.

The characteristics of TWF have impacts on learners’

evaluations the usefulness of TWF.

The findings claimed that learners had a strong desire for

receiving detailed TWF, especially TWF that focuses on both

form and content, regardless of TWF they got.

They preferred self-correcting their mistakes, checking with

peers, thinking about their writing alone to approaching their

teachers asking for help/ advice.

23


References Alton –Lee, A. (2003). Quality teaching for diverse students in schooling: Best evidence synthesis .

Wellington: Ministry of Edu.

Cohen, A. (1987). Student processing of feedback on their compositions. In A. L. Wenden & J. Rubin

(Eds.), Learner strategies in language learning (pp. 57–69). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall

Cohen, A. D., & Cavalcanti, M. C. (1990). Feedback on compositions: Teacher and student verbal reports.

In B. Knoll (Ed.), Second language writing: Research insights for the classroom. Cambridge, UK:

Cambridge University Press.

Ferris D.R. (1995b). Teaching ESL Composition Students to Become Independent Self-editors. TESOL

Journal, 8, 41-62.

Ferris, D. (2007). Preparing teachers to respond to student writing. Journal of Second Language Writing,

16, 165-193.

Hedgcock, J., & Lefkowitz, N. (1994). Feedback on feedback: Assessing learners receptivity to teacher

response in L2 composing. Journal of Second Language Writing,3 (2), 141-163.

Hedgcock, J., & Lefkowitz, N. (1996). Some input on input: Two analyses of students response to expert

feedback on L2 writing. Modern Language Journal,80, 287-308

Lee, I. (2008) ‘Student Reactions to Teacher Feedback in Two Hong Kong Secondary Classrooms’, Journal

of Second Language Writing, 17:3, 144-164.

Park, E. 2006. Review Article on “The Effectiveness of Teacher’s Written Feedback on L2 Writing”. SNU

Working Papers in English Linguistics and Language 5, 61-73

24

PETROVIETNAMPETROVIETNAM UNIVERSITY

Q&A section

Presenter: Phuong BuiEmail :[email protected] : www.pvu.edu.vn

Thank you!

petrovietnam petrovietnam university phuong, b. m. learners' reactions & responses toward...

Documents

teacher feedback methods

direct feedback

uncoded feedback

effective feedback

related feedback

writing learners

foreign language center

foreign language center