Resumen de The effects of synchronous written corrective feedback on learning speech acts through technology-mediated collaborative writing

Youjin Kim, Minkyung Kim, Sanghee Kang

• Due to the increasing use of online resources in second language (L2) classrooms, synchronous written corrective feedback (SWCF) has received greater attention. The current study examined the role of SWCF in learners’ production of complaint strategies and their learning of pragmatically appropriate use of the English speech act of complaints. It further examined the extent to which the frequency of SWCF episodes predicted learning outcomes. Forty-four Japanese university students were assigned to either a SWCF or no-feedback group. As part of their regular course curriculum, they completed a pretest, two writing tasks, and two posttests. The writing tasks, pretest, and posttests asked students to compose drama scripts based on scenarios involving interlocutors with varying power dynamics ([+power] complaining to [-power], [-power] complaining to [+power], [=power] complaining to [=power]). Students’ production of different complaint strategies in their pretests and posttests responses was tallied, and their written output was scored for appropriateness using a rubric. Findings showed that SWCF generally facilitated the appropriate use of complaint strategies, particularly in the context of [-power] complaining to [+power]. However, this facilitation was not related to the frequency of SWCF episodes.