How do online foreign language learners interact with different types of written corrective feedback? A classroom study about processing feedback and self-regulation

Abstract

The impact of written corrective feedback (WCF) on foreign language learning has been investigated for decades, concentrating often on aspects like reducing errors in second drafts and subsequent writing. Several scholars have claimed the need for more process-oriented studies where the processing of feedback by learners in naturalistic settings (as opposed to experimental designs) is observed and interpreted to determine the impact of WCF. This study presents the findings of a research project analysing the screen-recorded think-aloud protocols of 11 learners of German as a foreign language at a Spanish online university. Each learner produced three think-aloud protocols based on three different feedback modalities provided by their teacher in an unaltered online classroom environment. The findings provide insight into how online foreign language learners interacted with different types of WCF and whether this processing of feedback revealed the affordances of each feedback modality in promoting and fostering the use of self-regulation strategies.