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Study of High-Proficiency Chinese EFL Learners’ Strategy Applications in Constructive Feedback

  • Beibei Song

    Beibei SONG is a lecturer at the Department of English, School of Foreign Languages, Shanghai Institute of Technology (SIT). She completed her PhD (2020) in TESOL at Chengchi University in Taipei. Her research efforts have focused on language socialization, second language pragmatics, and culture in TESOL.

Published/Copyright: March 17, 2023
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Abstract

In cross-cultural and interlanguage pragmatics, constructive feedback (CF), defined as “the identification of a problematic action and advice on how to change or correct the problem” (Nguyen & Basturkmen, 2010, p. 125), has received little attention. To fill this gap, similarities and differences between native Chinese speakers, native American speakers, and high-proficiency Chinese EFL learners’ CF are explored in this study. In particular, how these learners’ strategy applications in CF differ from those of American and Chinese speakers is examined. Data were collected through discourse completion tests (DCTs) owing to their advantages in controlling social variables and their efficiency in eliciting rich data within a limited time (Leech, 2014). In total, 42 participants were randomly selected from three groups: 14 native Chinese speakers, 14 native American speakers, and 14 high-proficiency Chinese EFL learners. The results revealed significant differences in strategy employment in CF among the three groups, with the highest disparity elicited in hedge strategies. Here, EFL learners resembled American speakers in six of the eight hedge strategies. However, they had the same percentage in terms of compliments as the Chinese speakers. With regard to supportive moves, there were no significant differences among the three groups. As a pioneering investigation, the aim of this study is to call for further research on CF.

About the author

Beibei Song

Beibei SONG is a lecturer at the Department of English, School of Foreign Languages, Shanghai Institute of Technology (SIT). She completed her PhD (2020) in TESOL at Chengchi University in Taipei. Her research efforts have focused on language socialization, second language pragmatics, and culture in TESOL.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by 2022 Research Project on World Language and Culture from China Center for Language Planning and Policy Studies (Grant No. WYZL2022SH0009), and Research Start-up Project for Introduced Talents from Shanghai Institute of Technology (Grant No. YJ2022-69). Meanwhile, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to two anonymous reviewers for their constructive feedback and Dr. Xiangdong Liu, the managing editor, for his careful proof-reading and prompt feedback. Finally, my sincere thanks go to Professor Yu Ming-chung who enlightened me to have the original draft while taking his two courses, Pragmatics and SLA.

Published Online: 2023-03-17
Published in Print: 2023-02-23

© 2023 FLTRP, Walter de Gruyter, Cultural and Education Section British Embassy

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