VOCATIONAL COLLEGE STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS AND BARRIERS REGARDING ORAL CORRECTIVE FEEDBACK IN ENGLISH SPEAKING CLASSES: A MIXED-METHODS STUDY IN VIETNAM

Abstract

This study explores vocational college students’ perceptions and barriers regarding Oral
Corrective Feedback (OCF) in Vietnamese EFL speaking classes. Using a mixed-methods design
(questionnaire, n=100; interviews, n=10), results indicate that students view OCF as a valuable tool that
enhances confidence and motivation. They prefer immediate feedback for short responses and delayed
feedback for longer tasks to balance fluency and accuracy. Repetition and metalinguistic feedback were
the most favored techniques, while recasts and explicit correction were least preferred. Students also
appreciated public correction as shared learning. Main barriers included inappropriate feedback timing
and overly direct correction. The study highlights the need to tailor OCF to vocational learners’ cognitive,
affective, and sociocultural characteristics.