The CATESOL Journal

This survey-based study examined the preferences of adult English as a second language (ESL) learners regarding two types of corrective feedback in an Intensive English Program (IEP) setting. The first type of corrective feedback was implicit and included recasts and clarification requests, whereas the second type was more explicit and was represented by overt error correction and metalinguistic explanation. Additionally, a possible connection between the proficiency level of the students and their self-reported preferences was explored. The total number of participants was 87, representing 11 first-language backgrounds. The findings revealed that the ESL students in this IEP context generally preferred explicit feedback, but they did favor one particular type of implicit feedback—recasts. Furthermore, the more proficient students preferred feedback that focused on accuracy rather than fluency. The study has implications for the adult ESL grammar classroom in an IEP context, encouraging instructors to identify and consider students’ self-perceived needs with respect to error correction.