Preferred Methods of Providing Correction to EFL Students: A Case Study of Saudi Universities

Abstract

The basic objective of English language instruction is to help students achieve language competency for communicative purposes while making as few errors as feasible. Corrective feedback (CF) is essential because of how well it improves students' English language skills. The connection between language learners' and teachers' views on the forms, methods, and timing of CF has not yet received the attention it deserves from educational researchers. By examining the perspectives of both teachers and students in higher education, this study seeks to better understand the effects of constructive criticism. Three hundred sixty university sophomores took part in the mixed-method study. The data from the surveys, the students' follow-up interviews, and the discussion with ten EFL instructors were analyzed to reach several findings. The findings demonstrated that both educators and students valued the use of remedial feedback delivered verbally to improve English language skills. Metalinguistic feedback, immediate feedback on grammatical and lexical mistakes, and explicit correction and recast were all highlighted by the author as effective treatments for phonological problems. Teachers thought that students were not negatively affected by timely correction, but they did see that students preferred delayed corrective input. From a pedagogically relevant stance, these results have consequences for language teachers and students alike.