The Effect of Direct Oral Corrective Feedback on Motivation to Speak and Speaking Accuracy of EFL Learners

Abstract

Considering the significance of corrective feedback to improve language learners’ speaking performance, the current study aimed to examine the impact of direct oral corrective feedback on speaking accuracy and motivation to speak of Iranian EFL learners. To this end, 46 EFL learners who were preparing themselves for the IELTS exam, both male and female, were invited to participate in this study. Having homogenized the participants through the Oxford Placement Test, the researchers divided them into one experimental and one control group. As to the pretest, a valid IELTS speaking test and a motivation to speak questionnaire were administered to both groups in order to measure the learners’ speaking ability and motivation to speak level. The experimental group received direct oral corrective feedback on their speaking performance for 15 sessions. The control group did not receive any special kind of corrective feedback. A posttest, equivalent to the pretest, was administered after the end of the treatment sessions to both groups to find whether direct oral corrective feedback affected the learners’ speaking accuracy and motivation to speak. The results of statistical data analysis indicated that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group on both speaking accuracy, and motivation to speak. Pedagogical implications are suggested to language teachers and teacher trainers.