Analyzing EFL learners' errors: The plausibility of teachers' feedbacks and students' uptakes

Abstract

The present study was an attempt to investigate the types of error receiving more feedback by language teachers, the types of feedback leading to the greatest amount of uptake, and finally what types of errors lead to what types of teacher corrective feedback. To this end, an observational, analytical and descriptive study was conducted. Six classes with 6 different instructors were chosen. The number of participants was 60 female students at intermediate level from two branches of Jahad Language Institutes. Homogeneous groups of language learners were selected. Each class was observed for 5 sessions and the interaction among students and teacher was recorded. The coding scheme was according to Lyster and Ranta' (1997) model with some additional parts. Two other types of feedback were added, translation and multiple feedback. Also a combination of errors, multiple errors, were added. The analysis of the database revealed first, lexical errors received the most amount of feedback type (78%). Second, elicitation feedback led to the greatest amount of uptake. Third, phonological and grammatical errors mostly received recast and explicit correction. Lexical errors received explicit correction (39%). Multiple and L1 errors were provided by recast (48 and 40% respectively) © 2014 ACADEMY PUBLISHER Manufactured in Finland.