[Webinar] Research on Focused and Comprehensive Written Corrective Feedback: What REALLY matters?

The debate on written corrective feedback (WCF) sparked by Truscott (1996) has spawned a growing literature on focused and comprehensive WCF (i.e. feedback scope) in L2 writing. Such research, being largely experimental/quasi-experimental, has generated findings that are tangentially relevant to authentic classrooms. In this presentation, I attempt to problematize existing research on focused and comprehensive WCF by examining three key issues – ambiguity of pertinent terms, laboratory-like classroom conditions, and narrow scope of research. I also provide suggestions on how these problems may be addressed so that feedback scope research could be made more relevant to authentic classroom contexts. I conclude the presentation by suggesting that what really matters in WCF research is a focus that zeroes in on the real classroom, real teachers, real students and their needs, as well as the larger pedagogical context in which WCF is situated.

Icy Lee is a Professor at the Faculty of Education of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, where she is currently serving as Associate Dean (Professional Programmes) and Chair of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. She was former President of Hong Kong Association for Applied Linguistics and former Chair of the NNEST (Nonnative English Speakers in TESOL) Interest Section of TESOL International Association. Her publications appear in international journals such as the Journal of Second Language Writing, TESOL Quarterly, Language Teaching, System and Language Teaching Research. She was former editor of the Journal of Second Language Writing and is presently Principal Associate Editor of The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher.