Lecturers’ and Students’ Perceptions and Preferences about ESL Corrective Feedback in Namibia: Towards an Intervention Model

Abstract

This study investigated tertiary lecturers’ and students’ perceptions and preferences on the provision of Corrective
Feedback (CF) in the English as a Second Language (ESL) classroom at the Namibia University of Science and
Technology. The study focused on students’ speaking and writing skills in the Language in Practice English course.
The findings revealed that both lecturers and students perceive CF as an essential aspect of developing ESL productive
skills. Both lecturers and students were of the perception that CF is more focused on English grammar than form.
Students preferred more correction than their lecturers provided. Both lecturers and students concurred that
metalinguistic feedback is the best practice for CF in English. The contribution this study made is the ten-stage
Intervention Model that works towards the effectiveness of ESL CF at tertiary level in Namibia. The model
recommends that lecturers should carefully scrutinise the specific ESL target language features; practise a variety of
suitable CF techniques; and cater for individual students’ specific needs and preferences in learning English as a
Second Language at tertiary level.