Journal writing as a means of enhancing EFL learners' awareness and effectiveness of recasts

Previous research has indicated that second language (L2) learners often have difficulty with interpreting recasts as corrective feedback. The purpose of the current study is to examine if asking learners to reflect on their learning experience in language classrooms would enhance the accuracy of their interpretations and consequently effectiveness of recasts. 102 EFL learners in four intact classes provided participants for the current study. Each group was exposed to a different treatment condition as a result of (a) presence or absence of recasts in response to learners' errors during classroom interactions, and (b) presence or absence of learners' reflections through writing learning journals at the end of each treatment session. Pre-tests and post-tests were administered to evaluate and compare learners' performance due to different treatment conditions. Learners' perceptions of recasts were also examined using stimulated recall interviews which were held after the post-tests. The results indicated that while recasts were in general effective for promoting the acquisition of target forms, learners' reflections through journal writing significantly enhanced learners' noticing of recasts and also recasts' effectiveness.