Analysis of EFL Learners’ Preferences for Error Correction in EFL Academic Context

The present study is an attempt to analyze learners’ opinions about error corrections which they receive in the process of language learning. One hundred Iranian EFL students, including both males and females, studying at the departments of foreign languages of Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman and Tehran University took part in this study. In order to obtain the required data, learners’ preferences for error correctionquestionnaire(Fukuda, 2004) was utilized. The findings of this study regarding the necessity, frequency, timing, type of error, method, and delivering agent of error treatment revealed that students insistently wanted to receive error correction. Most of the learners disagreed with immediate error correction and preferred not to be interrupted during their conversations. The students wanted error treatments on their serious, frequent, and individual errors. Implicit error correction, elicitation, and recast were the three most favored types of feedback among the students. Teachers were the most popular source of feedback among students.

Keywords:

Error Correction , Learners’ Preferences , Elicitation , Recast , Corrective feedback