A cross-cultural comparison in pedagogical beliefs about oral corrective feedback: the case of English language teachers in China versus the U.S.

Abstract

Oral corrective feedback (OCF) has been a trending topic in additional language education research in the last three decades. In light of current foci on socio-cultural particularities and calls for comparative work on international teacher education, there is increasing need for explorations of teachers’ beliefs about OCF in different settings. To explore possible effects of socio-cultural differences on teachers’ beliefs about OCF, this study asks: How do in-service teachers in China (EFL) and the U.S. (ESL) perceive the need for OCF in second language (L2) learning and teaching? How do they perceive the effectiveness of different types–recast, explicit correction, prompts–of OCF in L2 education? Which of the recast, explicit correction, and prompt types do they report to use more commonly to provide their students OCF? How do factors such as years of teaching experience, and personal knowledge about research on OCF mitigate differences between the two groups? MANOVA results, based on data from 331 teachers, revealed similarities and differences between groups. Although both groups shared similar views on the need for OCF and considered prompts more effective than other types, they differed in their reported use of different types, partially moderated by socio-cultural factors, dominant educational philosophies, and background factors.

Keywords:

• Oral corrective feedback
• recast
• explicit correction
• prompts
• English as a foreign language
• teacher beliefs
• cross-national comparison

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Laura Mahalingappa

Nihat Polat (Ph.D., The University of Texas at Austin) is Professor and Chair of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Texas State University. He has published 3 books, over 30 peer-reviewed journal articles, and many book chapters. His work on additional language learning, teaching and assessment, teacher education, and the education of immigrant and marginalized populations in K-12 schools has appeared in journals, including Applied Linguistics, TESOL Quarterly, and The Modern Language Journal, among others. His first book is about additional language learning, teaching, and assessment (L2 Learning, Teaching, and Assessment: A Comprehensible Input Perspective, by Multilingual Matters), and the second one (with Laura Mahalingappa and Terri Rodriguez) is about understanding issues of diversity in K-12 education, with a focus on Muslim students. He also has one edited volume (with Tammy Gregersen and Peter MacIntyre) on research-based pedagogy (Research-Driven Pedagogy: Implications of L2A Theory and Research for the Teaching of Language Skills, by Routledge) and one (forthcoming with Laura Mahalingappa and Hayriye Kayi-Aydar, 2021) on international teacher education.

Nihat Polat

Laura Mahalingappa (Ph.D., The University of Texas at Austin) is an Associate Professor of ESL Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Texas State University. Her teaching and research expertise include first and second language acquisition, sociolinguistics, and teacher education. Her recent work involves the training of teachers to support linguistically diverse learners, including an edited volume on international teacher education (Preparation of Teachers of English as an Additional Language around the World: Research, Policy, Curriculum, and Practice, by Multilingual Matters). Her research on the preparation of preservice teachers to support English learners in inclusive classrooms has appeared in journals such as Language and Education, Action in Teacher Education, and the International Multilingual Research Journal. She has also published research on the syntactic development of second language learners in Applied Linguistics, and Language Learning and Technology. Her current scholarship focuses on linguistically responsive pedagogy.

Rui Wang

Rui Wang (Master’s degree in Foreign Language & Literature, DaLian University of Foreign Languages, China, and Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology, Palo Alto University, USA) works in the School of Foreign Languages at Yunnan Minzu University. She does research on second language learning and teaching. She has published work on topics related to teacher education and foreign language education in the Chinese context. She has been a visiting scholar in the U.S. to conduct research on cross-cultural factors in teacher education.