A three-stage model for implementing focused written corrective feedback

This article aims to show how the findings from written corrective feedback (WCF) research can be applied in practice. One particular kind of WCF—focused WCF— is brought into the spotlight. The article first summarizes major findings from focused WCF research to reveal the potential advantages of correcting a few preselected language items instead of all errors. It is argued that the majority of the focused WCF research, which has adopted an experimental or quasi-experimental design, has had limited pedagogical implications for second language (L2) writing teachers. Thus, the second section puts forward a three-stage model for operationalizing focused WCF, which includes selecting the focus, teaching the focus, and reinforcing the focus. Pedagogical ideas will be included in each of the stages to give writing teachers a clear idea of how to justify the selection of a language focus and implement WCF in a systematic manner.