Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book synthesizes recent works on a range of corrective feedback topics that have been the focus of current research, and integrates them into a single volume that can serve as a resource for those interested in error correction and feedback in various contexts. The issue of how to correct learner errors has long been of interest not only to teachers but also to researchers. Corrective feedback refers to utterances that indicate to the learner that his or her output is erroneous in some way. Although corrective feedback is considered an important aspect of second language (L2) pedagogy, there has been considerable controversy over its role and usefulness in both L2 acquisition and instruction. Theoretically, the argument for the role of corrective feedback relates closely with the notion of whether or not there is a need for negative evidence in language acquisition.