The Effectiveness of Learner Self-Correction of Written Errors in the Efl Classroom
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Date
1995-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The present study aimed at finding out which feedback technique(s) to student
written errors is/are more effective in helping learners improve their proficiency in
written English. In other words, it attempted to explore and describe the process of
learning EFL through learner self-correction of written errors with and without teacher
clues and direct teacher correction.
To do this, a classroom of thirty two Freshman students of AAU were grouped
into experimental and control groups based on their scores of the first semester Flen
101A Examination. The experimental group received feedback types that let them selfcorrect
their written errors. The control group received direct teacher correction on
their writing tasks.
The following instruments were employed to collect data. These were: a pre-test
and a post-test, nine classroom tasks that were given to students for writing,
questionnaires that were administered to members of each group, and interviews were
conducted with samples from each group.
Errors omitted and opinions given by research subjects on the type of treatments
used were collected and analyzed. Comparisons were made to see differences between
treatment types and error categories. Means, standard deviations and t-tests were
calculated to find out any significant differences between groups and among error
categories affected by each treatment.
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The results obtained showed that self-correction techniques are more effective
in helping students learn than the techniques where the teacher gives direct correction.
It is recommended, therefore. that teachers should frequently use feedback types that
help students to self-correct their written errors. Teacher training programmes should
include topics on the use of students focused error treatment where the teacher
predominantly plays the role of a facilitator. It is only when the students totally fail to
understand and correct their errors that direct feedback is appropriate.
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Keywords
Written Errors