Beyond Correction: The Role of Direct and Indirect Written Corrective Feedback in Shaping EFL Students’ Emotions and Revision Behavior

Although previous studies have examined the effects of context on students’ emotional responses to second language (L2) feedback, very few have explored how teachers can proactively intervene in these emotions through different feedback types. This quantitative study examines English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ emotional responses to direct and indirect written corrective feedback (WCF) in L2 writing, and whether the feedback context influences the link between these emotional responses and the subsequent revision behavior. The results indicated that direct WCF made students more contented and less anxious than indirect WCF. Under the direct WCF condition, emotions seemed to exert a marginal influence on students’ revision rates, whereas under the indirect WCF condition, contentment led to higher revision rates. This distinct pattern across contexts showed that the link between emotions and revision behavior varied depending on whether feedback was provided directly or indirectly. These findings revealed that contextual factors, such as feedback types, could affect students’ emotional responses and the relationship between emotions and revision. Therefore, it is suggested that future studies in the field of instructed second language acquisition continue to explore the interplay among feedback context, emotional responses, and learning, to enable teachers to manage students’ emotions more productively.