Implicit and Explicit Corrective Feedback and the Acquisition of L2 Grammar

Abstract

This article reviews previous studies of the effects of implicit and explicit corrective feedback on SLA, pointing out a number of methodological problems. It then reports on a new study of the effects of these two types of corrective feedback on the acquisition of past tense -ed. In an experimental design (two experimental groups and a control group), low-intermediate learners of second language English completed two communicative tasks during which they received either recasts (implicit feedback) or metalinguistic explanation (explicit feedback) in response to any utterance that contained an error in the target structure. Acquisition was measured by means of an oral imitation test (designed to measure implicit knowledge) and both an untimed grammaticality judgment test and a metalinguistic knowledge test (both designed to measure explicit knowledge). The tests were administered prior to the instruction, 1 day after the instruction, and again 2 weeks later. Statistical comparisons of the learners' performance on the posttests showed a clear advantage for explicit feedback over implicit feedback for both the delayed imitation and grammaticality judgment posttests. Thus, the results indicate that metalinguistic explanation benefited implicit as well as explicit knowledge and point to the importance of including measures of both types of knowledge in experimental studies.

Oral Corrective Feedback Strategies in EFL. A Pilot Study in Chilean Classrooms

“…According to Gass and Selinker (2008), feedback can be explicit (teacher stating that there is an error) or implicit (feedback during the course of interaction). Ellis, Loewen, and Erlam, (2006) stated that "CF takes the form of teachers' responses to learner utterances that contain an error. The responses can consist of:…”

The Relationship Between Implicit and Explicit Second-Language Processing: The Role of Cross-Language Similarity

“…Interestingly, the SF condition resulted in a very similar accuracy pattern thus emphasizing the role of accuracy feedback in L2 learning. There is some controversy in the L2 literature regarding what type of feedback is most useful to learners, with some studies showing that more explicit forms of feedback (e.g., correction + metalinguistic explanation) are most effective (R. Ellis et al, 2006;Rosa & Leow, 2004) whereas other studies suggest that any type of feedback or just task-essential practice is sufficient (Ferris & Roberts, 2001;Sanz & Morgan-Short, 2004). It is nevertheless reasonable to conclude that some type of feedback is better than none (but see R. Ellis et al, 2006).…”

“…There is some controversy in the L2 literature regarding what type of feedback is most useful to learners, with some studies showing that more explicit forms of feedback (e.g., correction + metalinguistic explanation) are most effective (R. Ellis et al, 2006;Rosa & Leow, 2004) whereas other studies suggest that any type of feedback or just task-essential practice is sufficient (Ferris & Roberts, 2001;Sanz & Morgan-Short, 2004). It is nevertheless reasonable to conclude that some type of feedback is better than none (but see R. Ellis et al, 2006). Indeed, a study by Mackey and Silver (2005) found that native Chinese-speaking children in Singapore had higher rates of improvement in English question formation when they received corrective feedback (i.e., recasts) than when they did not.…”

“…R. Ellis et al (2006) employed a GJT when comparing implicit and explicit forms of feedback and showed no clear advantage of feedback itself (though explicit metalinguistic feedback was superior to implicit recasts and/or no feedback on several analyses).…”

“…Word pairs consisted of a determiner and a noun that could constitute an agreement violation or not. Previous studies have shown that providing feedback to adult ESL learners can be beneficial (R. Ellis, Loewen, & Erlam, 2006;Ferris & Roberts, 2001;Rosa & Leow, 2004;Tokowicz 2004, unpublished data) and that increased stimulus salience can help focus attention to relevant aspects of the L2 (N. .…”