A Vygotskian Perspective on Corrective Feedback in L2: The Effect of Random Versus Negotiated Help on the Learning of English Articles

Abstract

This study examined whether negotiated help provided within the learner's zone of proximal development (ZPD) is more effective than help provided randomly and irrespective of the learner's ZPD. Data were collected during tutorial sessions on writing English compositions by two Korean learners of English. Qualitative and quantitative components of the data analysis provided support to the hypothesis. In addition, it was found that when provided randomly and in a non-collaborative fashion, more explicit help produced better results than did less explicit help. The findings provide support for a consciousness-raising view of language learning. Implications for further research on collaborative feedback are discussed.