Effects Of Written Corrective Feedback On Learning English Inverted Sentence

This empirical study was to explore the effects of written corrective feedback(WCF) and meta-linguistic explanation on non-English majors’ learning of invertedsentences in China. It examined whether the WCF could be effective in improving thelinguistic accuracy of the learners in using the inverted sentences, and whether thiseffectiveness could be retained2months later. This thesis will address the tworesearch questions below:1) Can written corrective feedback improve the accuracy in using invertedsentences?2) Can such effect be sustained over time?The experiment lasted11weeks. The participants were45freshmen from acollege in Hunan Province. They were equally divided into three groups: twoexperimental groups, and one control group. Each group was composed of15students.Group1(n=15,5males and10females) received written corrective feedback as wellas metalinguistic explanation; Group2(n=15,5males and10females) received onlymeta-linguistic explanation; the control group (n=18,8males and10females) got nofeedback. During the experiment, the students in the three groups did three tests:pre-test, immediate post-test, and delayed post-test, and all their scores were recorded.The students in Group1and Group2received4times of treatments on the Englishinverted sentences accordingly in2weeks after the pretest.The scores of their test were evaluated objectively, and were analyzedquantitatively and qualitatively by using the SPSS (It is the Statistical Package for theSocial Sciences, version16.0). Through One-way ANOVA, Paired-samples T Test,and homogenous test, this paper obtained the following results:1) In the pre-test, the participants’ mastery of the English inversion in the threegroups had no significant difference. After the four treatment sessions, all of themmade significant improvement. Among them, the students in Group1and Group2benefited more than those who were in the control group.2)Furthermore, the students in Group1who received written corrective feedbackand meta-linguistic explanation outperformed those in Group2who only receivedmeta-linguistic explanation and those in the control group. The effects were stillsustained in the delayed post-test2months later. However, the students in the controlgroup did not make any significant improvement in the delayed post-test. In addition, this thesis provided some constructive suggestions for classroomteaching. Written corrective feedback is feasible and effective. When giving feedback,teachers should take the learners’ present level into consideration. After givingfeedback, teachers should give them opportunities for revision and practice so thatlearners can internalize and consolidate knowledge on English inverted sentences.