Intext Codes or Posttext Comments? Which One Is More Influential in Improving the Intermediate and Advanced EFL Learners' Written Grammatical Accuracy?

Abstract

Many teachers provide learners with different types of feedback to help language learners write more accurately. In the present research, the author examined the effect of intext coded and uncoded feedback on written grammatical accuracy of Iranian advanced and intermediate learners. The researcher selected three classes of advanced and three intermediate classes of EFL Iranian students. After homogenizing students, the researcher randomly selected one intermediate and one advanced class as control groups and the other four classes as experimental. The experimental groups received posttext and intext coded feedback whereas the control one received uncoded feedback. The results indicated that all feedback types were effective in the posttest. However, posttext and intext feedback were more effective than uncoded feedback. Since feedback provides learners with an opportunity to revise their essays, one can consider its role as an effective one in learning and teaching English. The results also indicated that the advanced language learners outperformed the intermediate ones.

Keywords: Coded feedback, Feedback, Grammatical accuracy, Posttext feedback, Uncoded feedback, Writing.