Obtaining high-quality feedback in ESL classes is essential for students at any level and in any educational setting. While this may not come as a surprise, providing effective feedback is easier said than done – especially during communicative activities. Here are three common questions about giving feedback during speaking tasks, along with practical tips for handling this process in the classroom.

1) Should errors be corrected during speaking practice?

The short answer is: YES! But not all errors need to be corrected – and especially not immediately.

During some activities, the focus is on accuracy. For example, after teaching the past simple tense, a teacher might ask: “What did you do last night?” A student replies: “I play computer games.” In this case, correcting the student’s use of the present tense is appropriate and necessary.

Other times, the goal is fluency. Activities such as discussion questions, agree/disagree statements, or group tasks focus on smooth communication. Correcting every error in these moments is not only impractical, but it can also interrupt the students’ flow and discourage their participation in the task.

2) How can errors be corrected during conversations?

There are many ways to provide feedback that align with the goals of the activity.

Immediate vs. delayed feedback

When fluency is the goal, consider delayed feedback rather than interrupting students immediately. Some strategies include:

  • Writing erroneous words or sentences on the board and letting students correct them together after the activity.

  • Making notes of errors and correcting each student individually after the activity.

  • Collecting errors and reviewing them at the beginning of the next lesson as a short review exercise.

Explicit vs. implicit feedback

Sometimes, explicit correction is essential – such as when introducing a new grammar topic, reviewing for a test, or correcting homework. In these cases, going sentence by sentence is appropriate.

Other times, implicit feedback works best. For instance, if you are asking: “How was your weekend?” to set a friendly tone at the beginning of a class, a student might say: “I didn’t feel good in Saturday.” A simple implicit correction like: “Oh, you didn’t feel good on Saturday, I’m so sorry!” keeps the conversation flowing without interrupting the lesson.

3) What do the students think about being corrected?

You might be surprised here: students often want to be corrected more than teachers expect. Of course, it’s important not to sound too critical and to maintain an individual approach, but you can also consider this:

  • Ask your students how they prefer to be corrected.

  • Lead a short discussion on the positives and negatives of being corrected.

  • Explain that corrections are meant to help students grow, not to criticize.

Providing effective feedback during speaking activities is a balancing act between supporting accuracy and encouraging fluency. By using a combination of immediate or delayed, explicit or implicit feedback – and by understanding your students’ preferences – you can create a supportive classroom environment that fosters confidence, communication, and continual improvement.