1) Error vs mistake - Daniel

2) Immediate vs Delayed feedback – Pacholi

3) Accuracy vs Fluency - Panambi

4) Overt correction vs Recasting – Pamela

5) Affective feedback (Positive – Neutral – Negative) - Paula

6) Cognitive Feedback (Positive – Neutral – Negative) - Bianca

7) Fossilization and how to avoid it - Silvana

8) Monitor and Self-correction – Mateo

2. ESL Glossary. Lanternfish: ESL Jobs, Worksheets, and Flashcards for the ESL and TEFL Teacher. https://bogglesworldesl.com/glossary.htm

3. Harmer, J. (2007) The Practice of English Language Teaching. Pearson.

- Positive affective feedback will encourage the learner to continue even if it is clear that the listener cannot fully understand. 

- Negative affective feedback will stop a learner from speaking entirely and raise their affective filter.

- A neutral affective feedback is when the listener does not show clear positive or negative emotional reactions.''

Resources

1. Brown, H. D. (2007). Principles of language learning and teaching (5th ed.). Pearson Education.

2. ESL Glossary

Delayed feedback: feedback given later, usually after the activity or lesson has finished.

Source: Cambridge University Press and Assessment

"To watch and listen to learners when they are working on their own or in pairs or groups in order to make sure that they are doing what they have been asked to do"

(Cambridge Assessment English)

To self-correct is,

"The process of correcting itself when things begin to go wrong, without outside help"

(Cambridge Dictionary)

Example:

a B2 learner might habitually not add an ‘s’ when saying third person singular present simple verbs. Learners at this level do not usually make this mistake, but, for this learner, the error was not corrected early and it has become habitual.

How to avoid it:

a) Emphasize regular practice on students and guide them with targeted feedback.

b) Engage students in self-reflection to identify areas that need improvement

Source

Cambridge Assessment English (2019). Teaching Knowledge Test.

The ability to do something without making mistakes. Accuracy is the use of correct forms of grammar, vocabulary, spelling and

pronunciation. In an accuracy activity, teachers and learners usually focus on using and producing language correctly. (Cambridge Assessment English)

Fluency noun, fluent adjective

Oral fluency – being able to speak at a natural speed without stopping, repeating, or self-correcting. In oral fluency

activities, learners are encouraged to focus on communicating meaning and ideas, rather than trying to be correct.

Written fluency – being able to write without stopping for a long time to think about what to write. In a written fluency

activity, learners give attention to the content and ideas of the text, rather than trying to be correct.

(Cambridge Assessment English)

▶️ Example: such as telling a student, “No, ‘was’ is wrong; it should be ‘were’ for plural subjects.”

🔸Recasting provides a subtle model of the correct form without explicit interruption.

▶️ Example: The Teacher responding to “I goed there” with “You went there.”

🤩✅ Advantages

🔸 Recasting maintains lesson flow, avoids embarrassing students, and benefits listeners who overhear the model.

🔹 Overt correction directly identifies errors, ensuring students clearly notice and understand the correct form for faster accuracy gains.

❌ Disadvantages

🔹 Overt correction: It can interrupt speaking flow and cause anxiety or embarrassment, leading to error avoidance and reduced fluency. Studies show it may harm writing quality and attitudes without improving long-term accuracy. Overuse risks demotivating students, especially if it focuses on minor errors.

🔸 Recasting: Learners often fail to notice the correction, resulting in low uptake and limited learning impact. It provides no explicit error identification, so benefits depend on student awareness, which is inconsistent.

💻 Sources:

https://icaltefl.com/recasting-uptake-in-tefl-teaching/

https://flvpkonline.org/ELL/section_4/4d_1.htm?utm

https://flvpkonline.org/ELL/section_4/4d_1.htm?utm

Delayed feedback - feedback that is provided later on e.g after the test

source - Yang Sun (May 2025) Investigating the impact of immediate vs. delayed feedback timing on motivation and language learning outcomes in online education: Perspectives from Feedback Intervention Theory. ScienceDirect

Example

-Ugh! I made a terrible mistake in my interview.

-I think everyone has seen the 'error 404' when using the internet.

Cognitive feedback is feedback that helps learners think about their understanding, reasoning, or learning process instead of only telling them if an answer is right or wrong.

It encourages:

• reflection

• noticing mistakes

• problem-solving

• learner autonomy

Positive Cognitive Feedback

Positive cognitive feedback reinforces correct thinking or effective learning strategies.

Example:

“Good. You noticed the past time marker and used the correct tense.”

Purpose:

• builds confidence

• reinforces understanding

• motivates learners

Negative Cognitive Feedback

Negative cognitive feedback shows that there is a misunderstanding or error in the learner’s reasoning.

Example:

“Check the tense again. The sentence refers to the past.”

Purpose:

• helps learners notice errors

• encourages self-correction

• improves accuracy

Neutral Cognitive Feedback

Neutral cognitive feedback guides learners to reflect without directly praising or criticizing.

Example:

“Why did you choose that answer?”

Purpose:

• promotes independent thinking

• encourages reflection

• supports guided discovery learning