Can direct corrective feedback in learners’ mother tongue and in foreign language affect the EFL learners’ writing accuracy differently?

Abstract

The present study sleeked to find out whether direct grammar corrective feedback has any impact on EFL pre-intermediate learners’ writing accuracy. This study is also intended to investigate whether the impact of direct grammar corrective feedback to EFL pre-intermediate writers in their mother language differs from that in foreign language (English) on the learners’ writing accuracy. To meet the aims, 60 female Iranian pre-intermediate English learners in 3 groups of 20, two as Experimental groups and one as a control group, were asked to participate in this study. Subjects were asked to write a 100 word paragraph around three different topics, each with two days intervals. Experimental group 1 received grammar corrective feedback in Persian, Iranians’ mother language, experimental group 2 received the same feedback in English, Iranians’ foreign language, and no feedback was given to control group. Statistical analysis based on Mean scores and ANCOVA revealed that to improve pre-intermediate EFL learners writing accuracy, these writers need to receive direct grammar corrective feedback in their mother language.