Scaffolded feedback, recasts, and L2 development: A sociocultural perspective

Abstract

The study reported here investigated and compared the effects of scaffolded feedback and recasts on second language (L2) development. The concept of scaffolded feedback was operationalized based on Vygotsky's concepts of scaffolding and assisted performance. The study included 78 Persian EFL learners who were assigned to either a control group or one of two experimental groups. Learners in the experimental groups received either recasts or scaffolded feedback for their errors during task-based interactions with their interlocutors while learners in the control group performed the same task but received no feedback. Two dependent measures, an untimed grammaticality judgment test and an oral production task, were administered as pretests and posttests to investigate learners' achievements in the two experimental groups compared with the control condition. The results of data analysis revealed that scaffolded feedback contributed to higher levels of development compared with recasts. The study's findings and implications are discussed from several perspectives. © 2014 The Modern Language Journal.