A Comparative Study on Iraqi EFL Teachers’ and Learners’ Preferences of Corrective Feedback in Oral Communication

Abstract

This study aims to investigate oral corrective feedback in an Iraqi English as a Foreign Language (EFL) setting by comparing learners’ preferences with those of their teachers. A parallel questionnaire including 36 items was administrated to 100 EFL learners and 52 EFL teachers. For further study, interviews were also conducted with 10 teachers and 10 learners. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to analyze the collected data. The findings revealed that teachers and learners preferred teacher feedback, self-correction, immediate feedback, and students’ responsibility for correction. Moreover, the most preferable type of corrective feedback among learners was elicitation. The results also confirmed that there exists a difference between teachers’ and learners’ preferences of corrective feedback in oral communication skills as well as a difference between learners’ preferences based on gender.