Grammar Error Correction in L2 Writing

The value of written corrective feedback for second language (L2) writing has been prominent and hotly debated in L2 research in recent years. Conflicting and inconclusive reported results demand more research into this issue. With the purpose of contributing to this on- going debate, the current study investigates grammar error correction provided in L2 classrooms. In particular, it examines the nature and the effects of correction on the improvement of L2 accuracy by analyzing teachers' errors corrections provided to students' compositions in two intact English as foreign language (EFL) writing classrooms. The analyses showed that overall the teachers preferred to u e direct correction and that errors occurred most frequently in verb usages. The study found that error correction not only effectively led the students to successful revisions but also reduced the number of errors in the composition of the new texts. Further examination on the effects of error correction according to types of errors (i.e., verbs, nouns, articles, lexical items, and sentences) revealed that different error types had different effects on error correction. In addition, the study reported that types of error correction are a factor that could influence students' accuracy in their revisions.