Learner Personality And Oral Corrective Feedback In An Adult Language Classroom

A great deal of the variation in language learning outcomes is attributable, either directly or indirectly, to various learner characteristics. One of these characteristics are personality traits, which have been shown to influence learning outcomes. Moreover, teachers have an intuitive belief that personality has substantial importance for learning and make pedagogical decisions, such as choosing an oral corrective feedback (CF) approach, based on their assumptions about student personality. Whereas research has established that CF effectiveness is mediated by several individual differences, research on the influence of learners’ personality traits on CF effectiveness is virtually neglected. This classroom study aimed to fill this gap. It investigated a relationship (if any) between student personality traits and the effectiveness of oral CF, and how students with different personalities respond to and experience oral CF. Using a mixed-methods approach to data collection and analysis, this study took place in a class of adult language-learners in an academic context. Personality was measured using a personality test, the effectiveness of CF was measured using a pretest/posttest measure of past tense use accuracy using audio/video recordings of classroom activities. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews and stimulated recall (SR) sessions to explore students’ response to and experience of CF. Findings showed that personality differences emerged in student response to (and perceived effectiveness of) different CF techniques. Personality traits appeared to play a role in how students experienced CF and responded to it.