Giving feedback to language learners

Age, level and cognitive differences

Very little research has been carried out into the significance 

of a learner’s age in their response to feedback. Learners’ 

level has been studied more often, but the findings 

are contradictory. For writing, one meta-analysis found 

that the accuracy of lower-level learners improved 

more with feedback, while another found that more 

advanced learners benefited more.

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 For speaking, the 

picture is no clearer. Besides age and level, it is likely 

that cognitive differences, such as language learning 

aptitude and working memory, will also play a role.