VIETNAMESE HIGH SCHOOL EFL TEACHERS' PERCEPTIONS OF THE IMPACT OF ORAL CORRECTIVE FEEDBACK ON STUDENTS’ GRAMMATICAL ACCURACY IN SPEAKING

Abstract

English grammatical accuracy in speaking remains a critical focus of English as a foreign language (EFL) instruction in Vietnamese high schools. While oral corrective feedback (OCF) is widely practiced, its perceived effectiveness and the challenges associated with its implementation vary across teaching contexts. This study investigates Vietnamese high school EFL teachers’ perceptions of the impact of OCF on students’ grammatical accuracy in speaking, as well as the challenges they face in delivering such feedback during speaking activities. Seven EFL teachers from different high schools participated in this qualitative study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed thematically. The findings reveal that teachers generally perceive OCF to positively influence students’ grammatical accuracy, showing both immediate and long-term effects. Additional benefits include a ripple effect on non-targeted students and the prevention of fossilized errors. However, several challenges were identified, including students’ low proficiency and psychological barriers, the complexity of grammar structures, time constraints, and large class sizes. These insights underscore the need for more teacher support and contextualized strategies to enhance the effectiveness of OCF in speaking lessons. The study hopes to contribute to the improvement of grammar instruction and speaking accuracy in Vietnamese EFL classrooms.