Timing of corrective feedback in mobile instant messaging: An exploratory study of L2 Modern Greek learners’ perceptions

Abstract

Mobile instant messaging (MIM) applications such as WhatsApp have been established as important pedagogical tools for extending foreign language (L2) learning and practice beyond the classroom, increasing students' exposure to the L2, promoting interaction, and providing corrective feedback (CF). Despite CF being extensively studied in face-to-face classrooms, its exploration in MIM contexts is limited. This study investigated student perceptions about CF provided through MIM in two timing modalities: post-task and during-task. More specifically, it explored the experience of an intact group of 10 adult L2 intermediate learners of Modern Greek in Barcelona, Spain, who received a five-week pedagogical intervention through WhatsApp as an extension of their online course. Learners participated in a series of communicative activities and received CF in the two modalities. The WhatsApp chat (1074 messages in total) was analyzed to offer a holistic view of the students' participation and interaction. Participants’ perceptions of CF, gathered through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, indicated a positive attitude towards using WhatsApp and a strong appreciation for the CF. Overall, the students preferred the during-task feedback, even though they recognized that both modalities were useful. The study concludes by discussing the pedagogical implications and challenges of CF in MIM for language learning.