Abstract:
While some researchers have questioned the efficacy of corrective feedback (CF), other researchers believe that CF can be effective if implemented through new technology types, including e-portfolio (EP). However, whether EP can be used as a medium of providing CF for
language learners at different levels of language proficiency is still unknown. The purpose of the present study, there fore, was twofold: (a) to examine the writing performance of EFL learners across three levels of language proficiency receiving direct corrective feedback (DCF) via EP, and (b) to investigate which language proficiency group benefits more from DCF provided via EP. For the purposes of the present study, sixty (60) Iranian EFL learners who were divided into three levels of language proficiency at Sharif language center in Tehran, Iran participated in this
study. The results of data analysis showed statistically significant differences for two components of writing—content, and mechanics— between beginning and intermediate, and beginning and advanced language learners. The results also showed that the higher the language
proficiency level of language learners, the more they benefit from the provision of DCF through EP. These findings suggest that EP may be a viable option to supply Iranian EFL learners across levels of language proficiency with DCF. The article concludes with a call for testing the threshold-level hypothesis that may exist for language learners to use EP.
Machine summary:
"Impact of Direct Corrective Feedback (DCF) Through Electronic Portfolio (EP) Platform on the components of Iranian EFL Learners’ Writing across Levels of Language Proficiency Rajab Esfandiari Assistant Professor Imam Khomeini International University esfandiari@hum.
The purpose of the present study, therefore, was twofold: (a) to examine the writing performance of EFL learners across three levels of language proficiency receiving direct corrective feedback (DCF) via EP, and (b) to investigate which language proficiency group benefits more from DCF provided via EP.
Keywords: direct corrective feedback, e-portfolio, proficiency level, thresholdlevel Recent years in Applied Linguistics have witnessed an ongoing debate over whether second language (L2) learners should be provided with corrective feedback (CF) (Ferris, Lin, Sinha, & Senna, 2013).
The present study was, therefore, aimed at providing Iranian EFL learners across three proficiency levels with DCF via a more recent platform on five components of writing.
The present researchers were, however, unable to locate studies in which EP was used to provide CF on writing performance of language learners at different levels of language proficiency.
Therefore, in this study, it was attempted to examine how Iranian language learners with varying degrees of language proficiency may differ on components of writing (content, organization, language use, vocabulary, and mechanics) when they were provided with DCF via EP.
The second avenue of research worthy of investigation relates to providing language learners with various forms of feedback across multiple levels of language proficiency in ESL and EFL settings using more sophisticated online platforms."