Hossein Nassaji

University of Victoria | UVIC · Department of Linguistics (Faculty of Humanities)

This study examines the role of recast frequency and its effectiveness in the acquisition of English articles in a computer-mediated context. Sixty-one pre-intermediate university language learners in Turkey were randomly divided into four main groups: high frequency recast (HF), low frequency recast (LF), test control, and task control groups. The...

La rétroaction corrective écrite (RCE) est un domaine qui suscite l’attention des chercheurs en langue seconde (L2), que ce soit sur le plan pédagogique ou théorique (Lira-Gonzales et Nassaji, 2020). Il existe un consensus sur ses bénéfices dans l’apprentissage d’une langue étrangère/L2, mais très peu de recherches ont examiné la manière dont les a...

This study seeks to address a gap in our understanding of how corrective feedback (CF) influences second language (L2) learning by examining the specific impacts of oral and written CF on acquiring the third person singular -s in the simple present tense. The study examines these effects on both explicit and implicit knowledge. The research was con...

Our understanding of assessing L2 reading has significantly expanded in recent years, including both theoretical and practical aspects. There is a growing consensus that reading comprehension involves multiple skills and subskills. Classroom-based assessment practices reflecting such conceptualizations have also become widely utilized. This article...

This paper presents findings from a quasi-experimental study that examined the effect of corrective feedback (CF) on L2 pragmatics, specifically comparing Face-to-Face (FF) and Technology-Mediated (TM) modes. The study involved a total of forty-four ESL students from three parallel intact classes. The primary focus of this paper is to report the re...

This study compared the differential effects of focused and comprehensive written corrective feedback (WCF) on the accuracy of revision and new pieces of writing. It also examined whether the effects depended on feedback sub-types. Data were collected from 87 Grade 6 students in an intensive English program over seven sessions. Students were first...

Standardized measures of language ability have held the status quo in L2 scholarship for decades. Complementary assessment practices, however, are gaining ground against the psychometric backdrop. In keeping with the trend, dynamic assessment (DA) embeds intervention within assessment. In this exploratory case study research, we tracked development...

Taking a case study approach, this study investigated the differential potentials of interactionist and interventionist Dynamic Assessment (DA) as diagnostic tools for the investigation of the difficulties faced by five Farsi-speaking learners of English argumentative writing. The study was conducted as part of an EFL academic writing course which...

en This study investigated the effects of direct and indirect WCF on learners’ accuracy in revision and new pieces of writing and also examined the relationship between learners’ perception of WCF and the effectiveness of each feedback type. Data were collected from 56 learners divided into three groups: direct WCF group (n = 18), indirect WCF grou...

Corrective feedback is a vital pedagogical tool in language learning. This is the first volume to provide an in-depth analysis and discussion of the role of corrective feedback in second and foreign language learning and teaching. Written by leading scholars, it assembles cutting-edge research and state-of-the-art articles that address recent devel...

This study examined and compared different written corrective feedback techniques used by English as a second language (ESL) teachers in three different educational contexts and levels (primary, secondary, and college) in Quebec, Canada. In particular, it examined whether there were any differences in the types of errors made, the kind and degree o...

Lessons from Good Language Teachers - edited by Carol Griffiths April 2020

How to correct learner errors has long been of interest to both language teachers and second language acquisition (SLA) researchers. One way of doing so is through interactional feedback, which refers to feedback provided on learners' erroneous utterances during conversational interaction. Various theoretical claims have been made regarding the ben...

While the use of blogs has gained increasing popularity among second language (L2) writers, research into their role in developing L2 writing ability is yet underdeveloped. In particular, investigations into the use and effectiveness of peer feedback on L2 blogs are limited. The current study sought to fill this gap by comparing the provision of pe...

This paper reports the results of a meta-analysis of 39 published studies conducted during the last decade (from 2006 to 2016) on the effects of instruction and corrective feedback on learning second language (L2) pragmatics. The study meta-analyzed the effects of instruction in terms of several moderator variables including mode of instruction, ty...

This study examines the impact of task repetition on second language learners’ task performance and the mediating role of teacher feedback and learner self-assessment on oral performance. The study was conducted in a university-based English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program, where, as part of a course, intermediate proficiency learners ( n = 52)...

The Cambridge Handbook of Language Learning - edited by John W. Schwieter June 2019

This paper presents a critical synthesis of research on written corrective feedback (WCF) and its effects on second language (L2) learning over the past four decades. WCF is an essential component of L2 teaching. However, whether WCF helps has been an issue of considerable debate in the literature. While many researchers have stressed its importanc...

This study examines the interactional effect of written corrective feedback (WCF) explicitness and type of target structure on the accuracy of students’ revision and new pieces of writing. A total of 88 Japanese university students of English were assigned to four groups, each receiving either direct or indirect corrective feedback that differed in...

This study investigated the short-term and delayed effects of comprehensive written corrective feedback (WCF) on L2 learners’ revision accuracy and new pieces of writing (i.e., the transfer effect of feedback). Three types of feedback were compared: direct feedback and two types of indirect feedback that differed in their degree of explicitness (i....

This study investigated the short-term and delayed effects of comprehensive written corrective feedback (WCF) on L2 learners' revision accuracy and new pieces of writing (i.e., the transfer effect of feedback). Three types of feedback were compared: direct feedback and two types of indirect feedback that differed in their degree of explicitness (i....

The Department of Linguistics at University of Victoria (UVic) in Canada has a long-standing tradition of empirical approaches to the study of theoretical and applied linguistics. As part of the Faculty of Humanities, the department caters to students with a wide range of backgrounds and interests, and provides crucial language teaching support in...

How to treat learner errors has been an important issue both for second language teaching and language research. There is considerable controversy about the role and importance of corrective feedback in L2 acquisition. This entry begins by defining corrective feedback and its various types. It then discusses research that has examined its role in L...

Hi ha un ampli suport teòric i empíric en el camp de l'adquisició de segones llengües (L2) per a les estratègies d'instrucció que dirigeixen l'atenció de l’aprenent cap a les formes gramaticals durant les activitats centrades en el significat. Aquest tipus d'instrucció s’ha anomenat «instrucció de focus en la forma» i s’ha distingit dels enfocament...

This study investigated the effects of extensive versus intensive recasts. The focus was on the effect of feedback on learning English articles, which, as nonsalient target structures, have been shown to be difficult for many second language learners. Intensive recasts were operationalized as recasts provided on article errors only, while extensive...

Previous studies have shown that learner individual differences have important impacts on L2 accuracy development. The present study examines a learner variable (i.e. extraversion versus introversion) and its effects on incidental focus on form. Twenty-eight ESL students in two classes (an advanced and an upper-intermediate class) and their teacher...

This is an ambitious work, covering the whole breadth of the field from its theoretical underpinnings to research and teaching methodology. The Editors have managed to recruit a stellar panel of contributors, resulting in the kind of 'all you ever wanted to know about instructed SLA' collection that should be found on the shelves of every good libr...

Bringing together current research, analysis, and discussion of the role of corrective feedback in second language teaching and learning, this volume bridges the gap between research and pedagogy by identifying principles of effective feedback strategies and how to use them successfully in classroom instruction. By synthesizing recent works on a ra...

The role of interactional feedback has long been of interest to both second language acquisition researchers and teachers and has continued to be the object of intensive empirical and theoretical inquiry. In this article, I provide a synthesis and analysis of recent research and developments in this area and their contributions to second language a...

Although a growing body of research has examined the effectiveness of written corrective feedback (WCF) for improving L2 learners' grammatical accuracy, fewer studies have investigated the extent to which different educational settings would influence learners' perceptions and preferences of WCF. This paper reports on an exploratory study that inve...

The role of corrective feedback in second language classrooms has received considerable research attention in the past few decades. However, most of this research has been conducted in English-teaching settings, either ESL or EFL. This study examined teacher feedback, learner uptake as well as learner and teacher perception of feedback in an adult...

Most of the laboratory studies on recasts have examined the role of intensive recasts provided repeatedly on the same target structure. This is different from the original definition of recasts as the reformulation of learner errors as they occur naturally and spontaneously in the course of communicative interaction. Using a within-group research d...

The use of projects and project-based learning has recently received much attention as a way of promoting meaning-focused communication and integrating different language skills into second and foreign language classrooms. However, perspectives on the effective implementation of projects have not been fully explored. This study examines and compare...

This article provides a timeline of research on form-focused instruction (FFI). Over the past 40 years, research on the role of instruction has undergone many changes. Much of the early research concentrated on determining whether formal instruction makes any difference in the development of learner language. This question was motivated in part by...

This exploratory study examined the role of self-expressions in graduate school application essays (i.e. statement of purpose, SoP) and the different academic identities constructed by these expressions. Using a mixed methods research design, the research analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively a sample of 20 SoP written in English across va...

Many theoretical claims have been made about the role and effectiveness of dynamic assessment (DA) in L2 learning. It has, for example, been suggested that this kind of approach provides learners with appropriate and timely feedback in a supportive and interactive environment and in ways that can maximize L2 development (Poehner and Lantolf, 2013)....

This book examines current advances in the role of interactional feedback in second language (L2) teaching and learning. Drawing on recent theory and research in both classroom and laboratory contexts, the book explores a wide range of issues regarding interactional feedback and their relevance for both theory and practice, including how interactio...

It is suggested that effective L2 vocabulary learning involves elaborate processing in which attention to different aspects of words is needed to enhance learning. Laufer and Hulstijn (2001) propose a framework, the Involvement Load Hypothesis (ILH), to conceptualize elaborate processing. ILH conceptualizes elaboration in terms of a cognitive and m...

This pretest-posttest study examined the role of coproduction of language forms (i.e., collaborative output) in the acquisition of second language (L2) vocabulary. Thirty-nine low-intermediate ESL students from three intact classes were assigned to two experimental groups and one comparison group. The comparison group only received input-based inst...

This article examines current research on the role and importance of lower-level processes in second language (L2) reading. The focus is on word recognition and its subcomponent processes, including various phonological and orthographic processes. Issues related to syntactic and semantic processes and their relationship with word recognition are al...

This study examined the role of incidental focus on form (FonF) in adult English-as-a-second-language classrooms. Specifically, it explored the extent to which the amount, type, and effectiveness of FonF were related to differences in classroom participation structure, that is, the organization of classroom talk within which FonF may occur. The dat...

First language (L1) transfer has been a key issue in the field of applied linguistics, second language acquisition (SLA), and language pedagogy for almost a century. Its importance, however, has been re-evaluated several times within the last few decades. The aim of this paper is to examine current research that has investigated the role of L1 tran...

The questions of how and what type of written corrective feedback (WCF) should be provided to L2 students have received much attention in the field of second language acquisition (SLA). This study examined and compared the effectiveness of two types of WCF: direct feedback and indirect metalinguistic feedback. Two intact English as a foreign langua...

There is currently a substantial body of research on second language (L2) learning and this body of knowledge is constantly growing. There are also many attempts in most teacher education programs around the world to inform practicing and prospective L2 teachers about second language acquisition (SLA) research and its findings. However, an importan...

This study investigated the relationship between task-induced involvement load and ESL learners' inferencing and learning word meanings from context. Thirty-two ESL learners were randomly assigned to one of three groups, with each group receiving a different version of a text that was assumed to differ from one another in terms of the degree of inv...

A substantial number of studies have examined the effects of grammar correction on second language (L2) written errors. However, most of the existing research has involved unidirectional written feedback. This classroom-based study examined the effects of oral negotiation in addressing L2 written errors. Data were collected in two intermediate adul...

The study of second‐language (L2) reading comprehension and instruction has become the focus of increasing attention in the past few decades. Two recent publications, Reading in a Second Language: Moving From Theory to Practice by William Grabe and Second Language Reading Research and Instruction: Crossing the Boundaries edited by ZhaoHong Han and...

Recent SLA research recognizes the necessity of attention to grammar and demonstrates that form-focused instruction is especially effective when it is incorporated into a meaningful communicative context. Designed specifically for second-language teachers, this text identifies and explores the various options for integrating a focus on grammar and...

This study investigated the relationship between immediate learner repair in response to interactional feedback and learning targeted forms. In particular, the study examined and compared the relationship between two major types of repair: learner-generated self-repair following elicitations and teacher-generated repair following recasts. It also e...

In recent years the study of second language (L2) vocabulary learning through reading has attracted much attention in the field of L2 acquisition. A specific area that has received wide interest is the examination of the processes involved in deriving word meanings from context. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationships betw...

In recent years, researchers have become increasingly interested in the notion of spontaneous focus on form (FonF) (i.e., attention to linguistic forms that arise incidentally during meaningful communication). Previous research has indicated that such FonF is beneficial for L2 learning. However, this research has focused mainly on reactive FonF, wi...

The purpose of this special issue is to explore some of the key issues in form-focused interaction and second language (L2) development. We define form-focused interaction as any attempt to draw learners' attention to linguistic forms in the course of meaning-focused interaction, through various forms of interactional feedback and focus on form. Ou...

Ce numéro spécial de La Revue canadienne des langues vivantes est consacré à l'exploration de certaines questions cruciales au sujet de l'interaction centrée sur la forme par rapport au développement de la langue seconde. Au sens où nous l'entendons ici, l'interaction centrée sur la forme se définit comme une tentative, quelle qu'elle soit, d'attir...

Current second language (L2) instruction research has encouraged the use of collaborative output tasks in L2 classrooms. This study examined and compared the effectiveness of two types of output tasks (reconstruction cloze tasks and reconstruction editing tasks) for learning English phrasal verbs. Of interest was whether doing the tasks collaborati...

A growing body of research has examined the effectiveness of written corrective feedback (WCF) for L2 writing. An area that has attracted considerable attention recently is how students and teachers perceive the usefulness of WCF. However, research in this area has largely focused on students’ perspectives, with fewer studies comparing students’ an...

This study examined the amount, the purposes, and the reasons why L1 is used in L2 classrooms. Data consist of video and audio recording of samples of two instructors' L2 classes over the course of a 12-week semester in two second-year German conversation university courses, instructor interviews, and stimulated recall sessions. Results revealed th...