The effectiveness of unfocused corrective feedback on second language student writers’ acquisition of English article, prepositional and verb tense usages

Chian-Wen Kao, Barry Lee Reynolds (), Xiaofang Zhang and Michael Ping Wong
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Chian-Wen Kao: Yuan Ze University
Barry Lee Reynolds: University of Macau
Xiaofang Zhang: University of Macau
Michael Ping Wong: San Jose State University

Palgrave Communications, 2025, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract Unfocused corrective feedback is pivotal in second language (L2) writing instruction, yet its differential impacts on various linguistic elements remain underexplored in existing literature. The present study investigated the effectiveness of unfocused corrective feedback versus no corrective feedback in enhancing English article, prepositional, and verb tense accuracy among L2 student writers. Conducted over an 18-week period with 57 participants, the research employed a pretest-posttest-delayed posttest design to evaluate the impacts of these feedback types on linguistic accuracy. Participants were divided into two groups: a group that received only content feedback, and an experimental group that received both content feedback and unfocused corrective feedback. The findings indicate that unfocused corrective feedback effectively improved the accuracy of English articles, with notable gains observed in the delayed posttests. However, the effects on prepositional and verb tense accuracy were less pronounced, suggesting that more targeted feedback strategies may be necessary for these error types. The results highlight the utility of unfocused corrective feedback in writing instruction, emphasizing its role in enhancing grammatical accuracy, particularly in articles. This underscores the need for incorporating diverse feedback mechanisms to address varied linguistic challenges in L2 writing contexts.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1057/s41599-025-05126-x

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