The effect of oral corrective feedback on enhancing second language vocabulary learning in Iranian EFL context

Abstract

This research examines how adults learn L2 vocabulary when affected by different types of oral corrective feedback during a controlled classroom interaction. In addition, this study does not only focus on comparing the effectiveness of a particular type of corrective feedback versus another type, but also presents a penetrating examination of CF effects on L2 development in a multi-dimensional way. The quasi-experimental study used pretest-treatment-posttest design. Sixty male and female students learning English at intermediate level in Zabankade English language institute in Gorgan were the participants of this study. They were divided into three groups including prompt, recast, and control group. In the treatment stage, a four-step vocabulary activity was provided to prompt, recast or no feedback group, respectively. Pair-sample t-tests and ANOVA were used for data analysis. The results of the study indicated that using prompts and recasts as two kinds of oral corrective feedback were of benefit to students in terms of their ability to detect and correct errors in their own speech when they are learning new vocabularies. It is hoped that the findings of this study will shed some light on blurred issues of recast and prompt as two kinds of providing oral corrective feedback and their impact on enhancing vocabulary learning performance.