An Investigation of the Preferences of Iraqi Students Studying English as a Foreign Language Regarding Written Corrective Feedback in College Level Writing Classrooms

Abstract

This study was carried out to investigate the preferences of Iraqi college students studying English as Foreign Language (EFL) with respect to written Corrective Feedback (CF) in their writing classrooms. The present study seeks to fill the gap in research concerning written CF in Iraqi college EFL writing classrooms since the preferences of Iraqi college EFL students regarding written CF have not explored yet. It aims to examine the amount of written CF a sample of Iraqi college EFL students considers useful. It also aims to examine the types of written CF this sample of Iraqi college EFL students thinks most valuable, and their reasons for preferring certain kinds of corrective strategies. In addition, this research aims to find out the types of errors this sample of Iraqi college EFL students regard useful to be corrected, and why they prefer certain types of errors. To do this the current study employed a questionnaire for collecting data. A sample of 80 Iraqi college EFL female students of the department of English language of College of Education for women of Al Iraqyia university in Baghdad volunteered to fill the questionnaire. Descriptive statistics using frequencies and percentages were used to analyse the quantitative data from the questionnaire. The findings indicated that the participants in this study differed in their preferences concerning the amounts of errors to be corrected, since many of them preferred their instructor to correct all errors but not the minor ones. Other participants liked their instructor to correct all errors. It was also found that most of the participants in the present study preferred receiving written CF on repeated errors. Concerning written CF, the participants also differed in their preferable choices. For example, many of the participants in this research highly favoured the technique of written CF that was correction with comments. Over half of the participants liked the technique of teacher correction. Furthermore, some students preferred the technique of written CF which was clues or directions on how fix an error.