Feedback on EFL Learners’ Writing: Written Corrective Feedback vs. Reformulation

This study investigates the efficacy of two feedback types, namely written corrective feedback (WCF) and reformulations, in improving the writing skills of second language learners. The participants of the study were fourteen adult learners with low or intermediate proficiency in English. The study employed a three-stage composition-comparison-revision task, with two experimental conditions: WCF and Reformulation. The findings indicated that the participants responded more positively to reformulations than WCF. Additionally, the students independently attempted revisions in areas unrelated to the feedback, but these self-revisions were mostly unsuccessful. The results also suggested that the effectiveness of the feedback types and the participants’ proficiency level influenced their uptake. Low-level students demonstrated a higher uptake from WCF, while intermediate-level students showed a greater percentage of uptake from reformulations. The study concludes with pedagogical implications based on the findings.