The Impact of Focused Vs Comprehensive Written Corrective Feedback on ESL Writing Accuracy, Writing Quality and Writing Motivation

Abstract

The study aims to compare the impact of comprehensive versus focused Written Corrective Feedback (WCF) on the ESL writing accuracy and quality of Pakistani school students. The data were collected from 25 secondary school learners comprising two intact groups of 12 and 13 students each who were studying English as a second language for the Ordinary Level examination conducted by Cambridge Assessment International Education in Karachi, Pakistan. The data were analyzed using an independent sample t-test, which revealed no significant difference in ESL writing accuracy, quality, and motivation. Following the pre-test stage, one group of students received focused WCF, while the other group received comprehensive WCF for six weeks, with one 80-minute session per week. Both groups wrote six argumentative and narrative essays during the treatment phase. The results of the independent sample t-test revealed that the focused WCF group outperformed the comprehensive WCF group in terms of ESL writing accuracy and quality. The study has found that focused WCF is significantly more effective in improving ESL school learners' writing accuracy and quality. The present study confirms that learners cannot notice WCF in a quality manner when it is presented in large amounts, accompanied by numerous writing errors. It is recommended that ESL school teachers should provide focused WCF to their students in the ESL classrooms to help them improve their ESL essay writing skills.