The Investigation of Differential Effects of Recast and Metalinguistic Feedback on Accuracy, Fluency, and Complexity of Speaking Performance of Male and Female EFL Learners

The present study was conducted in an EFL setting in Iran. An attempt was made to compare the effectiveness of two types of corrective feedback namely, recast and metalinguistic feedback considering the learners gender. The last ten years witnessed a steady increase in the number of studies that have examined the effects of corrective feedback on L2 speaking performance. This includes both descriptive and experimental research examining a wide range of variables (e.g., type and amount of feedback, mode of feedback, learnerʹs language proficiency level, instructional context, and attitudes towards feedback). One of the relevant variables in corrective feedback studies which seem to be less operationalized is the differential impact of recast and metalinguistic feedback on the male and femaleʹs accuracy, complexity and fluency aspects of speaking performance of participants. Therefore, the present research aimed to investigate the differential impact of recast and metalinguistic feedback on speaking performance of male and female EFL learners. To do so, based on proficiency test, 120 participants were selected and randomly divided in six equal homogenous groups namely four experimental (A1=male-recast A2=female-recast B1=male-metalinguistic B2=female-metalinguistic) and two control groups (C1=male C2=female). The experimental groups received recast and metalinguistic feedback instruction of speaking while the control groups continued traditional speaking instruction without feedback. An immediate post-test was administered immediately after treatment to check the effect of recast and metalinguistic feedback on the target form using story telling and free conversation. A delayed post-test was given three weeks later using the same procedure in the immediate post-test to check the probable effect of time. In addition to story telling, the learners were asked to translate a story from their L1. The results obtained from the ANCOVA and t-test showed that corrective feedback, in the form of metalinguistic was effective in leading to speaking accuracy, fluency and complexity. This study failed to find any significant difference between male and female participants.