Writtencorrectivefeedback

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Book Review: Written Corrective Feedback in Second Language Acquisition and Writing Marie Yeo RELC Journal 2013 44: 121 DOI: 10.1177/0033688212473292 The online version of this article can be found at: http://rel.sagepub.com/content/44/1/121

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473292 2013

REL44110.1177/0033688212473292RELC JournalBook Reviews

Book Reviews

RELC Journal 44(1) 121­–124 © The Author(s) 2013 Reprints and permission: sagepub. co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/0033688212473292 rel.sagepub.com

BITCHENER, John, FERRIS, Dana R. Written Corrective Feedback in Second Language Acquisition and Writing (New York and London: Routledge, 2012), 209 pp. ISBN 978-0-415-87244-7. $42.95 (Pbk).

Reviewed by: Marie Yeo, Language Specialist, SEAMEO RELC, Singapore.

For those of us who teach writing, whether as a first or second language, the question of how to give written corrective feedback (WCF) effectively is of great importance. Should we correct every single mistake? Should we simply indicate that an error has occurred or should we supply the correct forms? How do students want teachers to respond to their writing? What types of correction lead to better student learning? Written Corrective Feedback in Second Language Acquisition and Writing answers these and many other questions related to written corrective feedback. It provides a comprehensive look at WCF, underpinned by sound theoretical perspectives and solid research data.

Presented in three parts, Part I provides a historical perspective of error treatment and WCF in second language acquisition (SLA) and in first language composition studies. Part II examines the plethora of research on WCF and speculates about future directions in this area. Finally, Part III discusses the practical applications of current theory and research.

In Chapter 1, issues of error and WCF are discussed in relation to major SLA theories, starting with early behaviourist approaches, moving to Krashen’s Monitor Model hypotheses, then continuing with cognitive, socio-cognitive, and socio-cultural perspectives. In a similar vein, Chapter 2 looks at error and error feedback from L1 composition research.

The authors discuss how L1 composition studies have influenced views on how error should be dealt with in the teaching of L2 writing. They then point out several intersections in error treatment between L1 and L2 writing instruction.

In Chapters 3 and 4, the authors relate details of research on WCF in language classes and composition studies. Information about specific types of research and research questions, the study or studies that address these research questions, and the findings of these studies are concisely presented in tables, making it easy for the reader to make sense of masses of information with relative ease. Studies going as far back as 1980 and those as current as 2011 are summarized, offering possibly one of the most complete overviews of error correction and WCF available in academic scholarship.

Chapter 5 is of particular interest to researchers as it identifies research issues of relevance to WCF in classroom situations. It also highlights unexplored and under-explored questions and identifies important new directions and approaches for conducting WCF. The authors point out that a particularly under-studied and, they hint, problematic area in WCF seems to

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be the ‘Teacher Variable’, or inter-rater reliability. In particular, they question the difference in results garnered from instructor vs researcher feedback as a methodological concern.

While Parts I and II deal with matters of theory and research, the rest of the book offers practical advice to teachers about how we can best provide WCF to learners to help them acquire the language and how we can help L2 students to become better writers. By looking at WCF in relation to its purpose and goals, timing and frequency, amount, focus, form, source, support, and follow-up, the authors attempt to provide some answers and suggestions for teachers, succinctly presented in Figure 7.6 on page 163.

These chapters also introduce the meta-language of WCF, for example, direct vs indirect, explicit vs implicit, and focused vs unfocused. The appendices show actual examples of student texts with different correction strategies. In keeping with the times, the authors also touch on the advantages of using electronic text editors (p. 158) and offer guidance on how to use such electronic tools effectively.

The final chapter comes as a ‘bonus’ and would be of great value to teacher educators.

The authors assert that the way most L2 teachers approach WCF is dependent upon their academic and teacher training background. While L1 composition teachers may have philosophical objections to correction, supporting Truscott’s (1996, 1999, 2007, 2009) position that error correction should be abandoned, L2 teachers of writing consider WCF as an essential and integral part of their teaching. However, the authors point out that many teachers of L2 writing may not have the necessary background to identify where an error has occurred, why it has occurred, and, most importantly, how to correct the error. To this end, they present a list of core competencies for writing teachers and suggestions for training. The appendices at the end of the chapter include reference materials for teachers of L2 writers and sample workshop training activities.

It is hard to find any real weakness with this book. The authors state at the outset that it is their intention to marry two separate but complementary areas of investigation: L2 writing and SLA. However, while this approach is original and useful, it leads to some degree of overlap and repetition. In the same way, the authors have purposefully connected L1 and L2 writing theory and practice, stating that although the theory of WCF has diverged in recent years, the practice has become more alike. Trying to cover both these areas has again led to a certain extent to replication of key ideas. Finally, as the writers themselves admit, electronic tools are now a ubiquitous source of WCF, so a more detailed treatment of this topic would have been appreciated. These minor inconveniences are easily made up for by the undeniable comprehensiveness of this book and its academic rigour, making it a ‘must read’, particularly for L2 teachers and researchers and for teacher educators tasked with preparing teachers to respond more effectively to their students’ writing.

References Truscott J (1996) The case against grammar correction in L2 writing classes. Language Learning 46(2): 327–69.

Truscott J (1999) The case for ‘the case against grammar correction in L2 writing classes’: a response to Ferris. Journal of Second Language Writing 8(2): 111–22.

Truscott J (2007) The effect of error correction on learners’ ability to write accurately. Journal of Second Language Writing 16(4): 255–72.

Truscott J (2009) Arguments and appearances: a response to Chandler. Journal of Second Language Writing 18: 59–60.

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