EFFECTS OF DIRECT AND INDIRECT CORRECTIVE FEEDBACK ON VIETNAMESE EFL NINTH GRADERS: A CASE OF PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE LESSONS

The comparison of the effectiveness of direct and indirect written feedback (WCF) is a continuously debated topic in second language learning (SLA). Previous studies have largely focused on second language learners at universities or those majoring in English. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate the experimental gap regarding the effectiveness of WCF on complex, rule-following structures such as the past continuous tense in young Vietnamese learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). The present study was a quasi-experimental, mixed-method investigation of short-term acquisition and long-term retention of grammatical accuracy and learners’ emotional awareness. The participants were 39 ninth-grade students who were learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in Vietnam. The participants were divided into two separate experimental groups (direct feedback and indirect feedback). Data were collected over a six-week period using three parallel written assignments (a pretest, an immediate posttest, and a delayed posttest) and a 10-item questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale. Quantitative data were analyzed using Mixed ANOVA,which showed a statistically significant main effect with time. Results also showed that both groups improved their accuracy almost immediately. The data also demonstrated a significant parallel decline in long-term performance on the test after a period of time. Crucially, no significant difference emerged between the Direct and Indirect CF cohorts. Furthermore, descriptive statistics and independent samples t-tests demonstrated that students held overwhelmingly positive, pragmatic attitudes toward both methods, reporting high academic confidence and low anxiety.