EFL Learners’ Preferences of Corrective Feedback in Speaking Activities

Abstract

This study examines the preferences and perceptions of Saudi EFL learners concerning the use of Corrective Feedback (CF) during speaking activities. The participants consisted of sixty EFL pre-intermediate female learners in their preparatory year at the English Language Institute (ELI) in King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia. The study utilized both quantitative and qualitative approaches, including a questionnaire to establish learners’ CF preferences when it came to the correction of errors during speaking activities, followed by interviews with ten learners to establish additional information on, and the reasons for, these preferences. The findings revealed that the students held a positive attitude to CF during speaking activities, strongly agreeing that their teachers’ CF could improve their speaking skills. The study also found that students preferred CF to be immediate and to be given by their teachers, who they considered the most qualified to provide such feedback. In addition, the majority of respondents favored receiving CF on their oral grammatical errors. This study provides beneficial information concerning students’ preferences towards the use of CF during speaking activities. This has the potential to contribute to EFL classroom practice, enabling teachers to reevaluate their instruction, particularly in relation to speaking skills, in order to improve speaking proficiency. Moreover, these results contribute to the literature focusing on EFL learners’ preferences when it comes to the use of the CF in English speaking classes in Saudi Arabia.