A Study On Senior High School English Teachers' In-Class Oral Corrective Feedback Decision-Making Process

The important role CF(Corrective Feedback)plays in language development has been confirmed by various second language learning theories and empirical studies,with recast found to be the most frequent feedback type used in class and the effectiveness of different feedback types varying in different language contexts.However,most research has investigated CF once it has been provided.Studies examining how teachers make in-class feedback decisions are still limited in the descriptive CF research domain.Therefore,the present study,by following Lyster and Ranta's(1997: 44)division of six feedback types(explicit correction,recast,clarification request,metalinguistic feedback,elicitation and repetition),is intended to first present the general tendency of CF provision,to be specific,the different types of CF and their distribution in secondary-level classrooms.Then the study investigates senior high school English teachers' moment-to-moment feedback decision-making process and potential differences in decision-making between pre-service and experienced teachers.The participants of the study include four English teachers from different senior high schools in Shanghai and four pre-service teachers taking part in an English education program launched by East China Normal University.Classroom observation and stimulated recall interview are taken as the instruments of the study,with classroom observation scheme adapted from Lyster and Ranta's(1997)analytic model of error treatment sequence and stimulated recall interview questions adopted from Gurzynski-Weiss' s(2016)research.Interaction episodes in class and stimulated recall interview were all transcribed and teachers' own profiles were created for analysis,including their background information,audio-tape,transcripts of classroom teaching and stimulated recall interview,and factors influencing their decision-making.The findings of the study are summarized as follows:Firstly,there exists a great variety in choosing CF types in the reading class among senior high school English teachers.To be specific,six types of single feedback(explicit correction,recast,clarification request,metalinguistic feedback,elicitation,repetition)and four types of mixed feedback(a combination of repetition and explicit correction,a combination of repetition and recast,a combination of repetition and elicitation,a combination of repetition,metalinguistic feedback and elicitation)are identified.Single feedback,especially elicitation and explicit correction,is preferred by teachers because of their intention to elicit information from students in reading classes as well as their consideration of the time limit in class.Besides,recast is rarely used due to difference in class type,teacher cognition as well as the limited sample size.Secondly,3 instructor factors(instructor's expectation and plan of how students should complete task,instructor's lack of knowledge or preparation,teaching experience),6 contextual factors(linguistic target,time limit in class,error type,pause in student speech,interruption of meaning caused by error and class type)and 3learner factors(instructor's perception of student ability,concern for a particular student's feelings or anxiety level and students' previous language learning experience)are found to influence senior high school English teachers' CF decision-making process.What's more,the study is consistent with Gurzynski-Weiss' s(2016)research in confirming that senior high school English teachers' CF decision-making is an ordered process,with instructor factors filtering teachers' attention to specific learner factors and/or contextual factors,and ultimately determining their decision whether or not to provide CF as well as which kind.Thirdly,there exists no difference between pre-service and experienced teachers as to their tolerant attitude towards learner errors,but experienced teachers are found to undergone CF cognition changes during the first few years of teaching.Besides,pre-service teachers pay more attention to students' feelings or anxiety level and take more time to make CF decisions than experienced teachers,which result from their lack of teaching experience,familiarity with students,knowledge of the teaching content and time for preparation.In addition,experienced teachers are able to predict learner errors based on their extensive teaching experience.