The Use of written corrective feedback to help students avoid spelling errors

Abstract

Considerable attention has been given to written corrective feedback in second language writing over the past several decades. One of the central questions has focused on the appropriateness of its use in second language writing. The value of such feedback in second language writing has been debated in the literature for many years. Therefore, theorists have attempted to answer many questions related to its' usefulness in second language writing. The main focus of this research is to explore the effect of using written corrective feedback on improving students' spelling achievement. The aim of this work is to identify students' and teachers' attitudes about the effect of using written corrective feedback on students' spelling errors. It was hypothesized that written corrective feedback helps students to avoid their spelling errors and hence improve their writing skill. In this research two questionnaires are administrated; one for teachers and another for students to have a clearer image about their perspectives towards the theme under study. The identification of Students' attitudes is helpful for teachers, in the sense that it guides them in the process of giving any type of feedback. The discussion of the results demonstrates that teachers' written corrective feedback has a positive effect on students' spelling errors.