Corrective Feedback and Personality Type: A Case Study of Iranian L2 Learners

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of explicit and implicit corrective feedback on extrovert and introvert language learners in a writing course. Participants were classified into two groups of explicit corrective feedback and implicit corrective feedback. Based on Myers-Briggs personality questionnaire, participants of each group were divided into extroverts and introverts. Throughout a writing course, the first group was provided with explicit feedback and the second group with implicit feedback. The results of a pretest and a posttest showed that while explicit corrective feedback is more effective for extroverts, indirect implicit feedback produces better results for introverts in writing courses. However, it is suggested that an optimal mixture of positive and negative feedback would be most beneficial in writing courses, particularly for extrovert learners who need external stimuli to be pushed forward.