Input, interaction, and corrective feedback in L2 learning

Abstract

The interaction approach, fueled by interaction-based research in second language acquisition (SLA), has come a long way since it was first proposed during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Researchers have advanced from verifying the positive effects of interaction on second language learning (e.g., Ellis et al. 1994; Long, 1980, 1983; Mackey & Goo, 2007; Swain, 1985) to investigating the internal characteristics of interaction by uncovering the multiple dimensions that are involved in more detail (Long, 1996) and updating constructs and coding systems (Kowal & Swain, 1994). The depth and breadth of information that interaction-based research has generated, as portrayed throughout this book, has helped both researchers and language instructors further understand the conditions under which interaction may benefit instructed SLA. One of the variables that can be manipulated and observed in such interactional settings is feedback, which is emphasized throughout the book as the author’s main research focus.