High school EFL teachers’ oral corrective feedback beliefs and practices, and the effects of lesson focus

Abstract

Abstract Teachers’ oral corrective feedback (CF) may be influenced by the communication orientation of the lessons, but little research has taken lesson focus into account when examining the relationship between teachers’ CF beliefs and practices. This study explores teachers’ CF beliefs, practices, and the relationship between the two constructs in Vietnamese high school EFL classrooms. The study also compares and contrasts the teachers’ CF practices in relation to two opposing lesson types in terms of communication orientation. The participants were ten experienced EFL teachers from two public high schools. Analysis of audio-recorded in-depth interviews and video and audio-recorded classroom observations (n = 20 lessons, 15 h) showed a strong relationship between the lesson focus and the teachers’ practices in various aspects of feedback provision. The teachers’ beliefs were reflected more consistently in grammar lessons (where the teaching is more form-focused) than in speaking lessons (where the teaching is more meaning-focused). There was also a difference in the teachers’ CF strategies used between the two lesson types. This difference could be explained by the teachers’ background and the difference in the predictability of the learning activities and learner contributions.