IN-PERSON Prague Research & Teaching Conference
Abstract
Writing in a second language (L2) presents unique challenges for learners, and effective feedback is crucial for their development. This study investigated the impact of different types of written corrective feedback (WCF) on the acquisition of the simple past tense in L2 English among adult learners at a A2 level in a Chilean university’s general English program. In Phase 1, a quasi-experimental design was employed with pretest, immediate posttest, and delayed posttests. Three intact classroom groups (N=61) received either indirect WCF, direct WCF, or metalinguistic WCF, while a control group (N=19) received only general performance comments. This phase aimed to assess the effects of these feedback types on proficiency. In Phase 2, an additional experiment involved 80 students participating in eye-tracking sessions to determine their attention distribution among the feedback types. Statistical analyses indicated that written corrective feedback significantly enhanced short-term and long-term proficiency in simple past tense production. Notably, metalinguistic feedback showed superior effectiveness compared to indirect and direct feedback types. Additionally, eye-tracking data provided substantial insights into fixation frequency, total fixation duration, and other relevant measures associated with each feedback type. The present study demonstrated that feedback focused on form, can be integrated into the writing process to promote the development of writing skills in second language learning. Additionally, a well-executed eye-tracking approach adds value to the study by determining what students notice when corrected by teachers, which is crucial for future research as it provides supplementary data to understand the true effect of corrective feedback.
Jorge Lillo is an English as a Second Language Professor with more than 25 years of experience in higher education. He earned a master’s degree and a PhD in Linguistics from University of Concepción, specializing in teaching English as a Second Language, English Phonetics and Applied Linguistics. His research centers on form-focused instruction, corrective feedback, and Computer-Assisted Language Learning. He currently leads a project about the effect of written feedback on ESL writing, funded by the Chilean National Research Agency. He is the Dean of the Faculty of Education at UCSC, Chile.
Marcela Cabrera graduated as a teacher of English from University of Concepcion, Chile, in 1989, and later obtained a Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics from the same institution. Since 1991, she has been a faculty member at the University of Concepción, specializing in English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Marcela focuses on grammar and discourse analysis to enhance students’ linguistic proficiency and academic skills. She actively engages in phonetics and adult education research and has held roles as Head of the English teaching program and Director of the Department of Foreign Languages.
Felipe von Hausen graduated in Education and as a teacher of German from the University of Talca in Chile, he dual Master’s degrees in Higher Education and Applied Linguistics from the Catholic University of Concepción. His research expertise lies in experimental psycholinguistics, with a specialized focus on syntax processing in second language (L2) acquisition. He is also actively involved as an academic in the Faculty of Communications and Arts at the University of the Americas in Concepción.
Javiera Dinamarca Zurita is an English teacher and a PhD candidate in Linguistics at the University of Concepción. She currently works as a lecturer at the Catholic University of Concepcion. Her research areas include Second Language Teaching and phonological studies of Mapudungun. Since 2022, she has been involved as technical staff in the research project “Comparative Effect of Indirect, Direct, and Metalinguistic Corrective Feedback on Implicit and Explicit Knowledge Acquisition in English as a Second Language Learning.” She has dedicated her career to the research and preservation of indigenous languages and has published articles in specialized linguistic journals
3:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Tuesday 10th June, 2025