Whatever we want to learn, the process will have 3 components:

INPUT and OUTPUT and… yes, you guessed it, FEEDBACK on it!

It can (should?) come varied; sometimes generously sprinkled around what a learner is doing, sometimes offered sparingly, sometimes in speaking, sometimes in writing, and sometimes even from peers.

All this will depend on a number of factors including the learners’ language level, age, level of autonomy, and whether it is the beginning or closer to the end of their course with us (by which point we normally just have to refer back to key pointers that have been established before).

Some of my favorite techniques when giving feedback to IELTS learners on their WRITTEN work include:

1) Correction codes

2) Error correction

3) Criteria correction

4) Comments

5) Assessment

6) Global comments

7) Work proposed

8) Mixed

9) Peer correction

10) ‘Writings on the Wall'(–getting Ss to put their essay/report/letter on the wall and others to comment on each, in writing)

11) Guided Peer Correction

12) ‘My Favorite Letter/Report/Essay was ____’s because…’

Have you tried all? Which of these is your favorite? Why?

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Hi. I’m Fatime. I’m an IELTS Teacher Trainer, helping CELTA-qualified English language teachers become better at teaching SKILLS, as opposed to just testing them. 

Check out my courses here:

How to Teach IELTS Listening:

How to Teach IELTS Reading:

How to Teach IELTS Writing:

How to Teach IELTS Speaking: