Which Error An ELT Teacher May Correct: Accuracy or Fluency?

Abstract

This is a classroom observation which explores teachers’ feedback on learners’ errors committed in fluency (oral) and accuracy (grammar) activities in English as second language (ESL) classroom in Sussex University, Brighton, UK. In the field of ESL this is a pertinent question to decide that should a teacher give the feedback on accuracy or fluency in the classroom? The current study has carried out an inductive microanalysis of the classroom data. Relying on the quantitative methodology and structured classroom observation the findings reveals that ESL teacher provided on-spot feedback on errors committed in accuracy while over looked the errors committed in fluency. The data analysis illustrates that corrective feedback takes a special shape in form - oriented classrooms. The teacher used a series of feedback techniques such as scaffolding, nonverbal corrective feedback strategies, objects as corrective feedback techniques, clusters of corrective feedback strategies, socialisation between the teacher and the learners and peers as part of corrective feedback episodes. The features observed in this study reflect a need of extensive investigation in the area of feedback.