The purpose of this study was to investigate the type of feedback, learner responses, and characteristics of native and bilingual English teachers in kindergarten English classes. The classes of native and bilingual English teachers were observed six ...
The purpose of this study was to investigate the type of feedback, learner responses, and characteristics of native and bilingual English teachers in kindergarten English classes. The classes of native and bilingual English teachers were observed six times each, filmed, transcribed, and analyzed for the types of speech errors made by children and the teacher's feedback. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted to understand the differences between the teacher's thoughts and their actual performance. The research results are as follows: First, native English teachers provided significantly more positive feedback than bilingual English teachers. Second, while the frequency of negative feedback was similar between native and bilingual English teachers, there was a distinct difference in the types of feedback given. Native English teachers predominantly used implicit methods such as Recast, whereas bilingual English teachers primarily used explicit methods such as Explicit Correction. Third, there was a discrepancy between the feedback English teachers perceived as effective and the feedback they actually provided in class. This study is meaningful as it compares and analyzes the types of speaking feedback between native and bilingual English teachers for young children, moving away from the traditional focus on adult-centered feedback studies.