Abstract:

Little research has been carried out exploring what students think of video feedback when learning the pronunciation of a foreign language. This article is an exploratory study into how students perceive this technique when learning specific sounds in a foreign language, and identify if there were differences between anxious and non-anxious students. Grounded theory was the method used and the dialogic approach as the conceptual framework. Screencasting was the technique used when designing the feedback delivery for this activity, in which audiovisual information is employed in order to correct and clarify some aspects of the student’s performance. The tutor can make the student see where they must improve and give the student a chance to perform better. After the student’s second try, the tutor delivers feedback again. Underlying the whole feedback procedure, there is a form of dialogue, albeit asynchronous, between tutor and student, which could be described as dialogic feedback.

In order to identify anxious students as well as their preferences for Corrective Feedback strategies, two questionnaires were administered before doing the optional pronunciation activity: Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) and Corrective Feedback Belief Scale (CFBS). Students were then classified into anxious vs. non-anxious by means of the two-step clustering and hierarchical clustering. This specific result allowed us to carefully design CF for a specific anxiety profile.

Twenty-seven students completed an online pronunciation activity and were contacted for a semi-structured interview. The content of the interview was qualitatively analyzed using Thematic Analysis, which was carried out employing a coding system consisting of three main themes: "The Emotional input of feedback", which is referred to the feelings around the feedback delivery which foster dialogue, closeness, motivation and empathy; "Enhanced understanding", which is related to the clarity, the usability and personalization of the feedback; and "Feedback engagement", which are the conditions favouring agentic engagement, in which students share responsibility for making feedback processes effective.

Results showed that students, both anxious and non-anxious, see video feedback favourably. In addition, students prefer video feedback since it was more personalized. It also enhanced understanding as well as promoted feedback engagement. Individualized video recordings of the tutor commenting each assignment had a positive effect on how students perceived the feedback, who described it as clear, detailed, supportive, caring and motivating among others. Digital recordings seem to be more detailed and personalized as well as useful. The tutor’s voice or image adds an affective component to feedback delivery, which is valued positively by the student. Audiovisual feedback by means of screencast software seems to be useful when delivering in-depth explanatory feedback, which in turn improves teacher-student rapport. Last but not least, the article also describes the design of an online learning activity aiming at a specific problematic pronunciation target in English and in which specific feedback is included. Our research will help us identify the strengths of video feedback in second language teaching. Implications related to video feedback practices are also discussed.

Keywords:

Video feedback, pronunciation, foreign language anxiety, screencasting.