Exploring the Effects of Peer Oral Feedback on EFL Low-Intermediate Achievers’ Grammar Accuracy in Writing

In this study, we examine the efficacy of Dictogloss in enhancing the acquisition of four English tenses—simple present, present continuous, simple past, and present perfect—among EFL low-intermediate learners. Dictogloss, a task-based instructional strategy, fosters collaborative learning by integrating meaning-focused listening with grammar-focused reconstruction. The investigation spanned an academic year (28 weeks) and employed a spiral curriculum (Bruner, 1960) to progressively escalate textual complexity in the second semester.

Both the experimental group and the control group engaged in uniform Dictogloss phases: preparation, dictation, and reconstruction. The experimental group, however, received peer oral feedback in the final stage, administered predominantly face-to-face during the first semester and virtually via Microsoft Teams in the second semester. In contrast, the control group conducted self-review using provided transcripts. Data collection comprised pretests, post-tests, five Dictogloss tasks per semester, audio recordings of peer feedback, and attitudinal questionnaires.

In the first semester, the experimental group demonstrated statistically significant improvements in multiple-choice scores (p = 0.001) and in listening and writing accuracy (p = 0.003), while the control group exhibited significant gains only in listening and writing accuracy (p = 0.0039), with no significant change in multiple-choice performance (p = 0.156). Mann-Whitney U tests confirmed significant between-group differences in multiple-choice outcomes (p = 0.011). During the second semester, the experimental group maintained significant enhancements in both multiple-choice (p = 0.004) and listening and writing measures (p = 0.001), whereas the control group improved solely in listening and writing (p = 0.012). COVID-19 disruptions, including technical challenges and health concerns, likely affected participation dynamics. Overall, these findings substantiate the pedagogical merit of Dictogloss, particularly when augmented by peer oral feedback, in advancing grammatical proficiency in EFL contexts. These results robustly illuminate the transformative potential of innovative, collaborative methodologies in second language instruction for learners.