TEACHER RECAST AND LEARNER NOTICEABILITY: DYNAMICS IN EFL INTERACTIVE CLASSROOMS

Talal M. Amara

Abstract


This study examines learner noticing of teacher recasts in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) interactive classrooms, with a specific focus on comparing the relative effectiveness of explicit and implicit recasts. The research was conducted at the Specific Training Center for Oil Industries in Zawia, Libya, and involved four intermediate-level classrooms comprising learners from diverse academic and professional backgrounds. Data were collected through 540 minutes of classroom observation, during which natural teacher–learner interactions were recorded. A total of 45 teacher recasts were identified, of which 28 were classified as explicit and 17 as implicit. Learner noticing was identified through immediate uptake and repair following each recast. To triangulate the findings, post-observation interviews were conducted with learners who had received recasts, providing further insight into their cognitive engagement with the teacher recasts. Findings revealed a high rate of learner noticing overall, with 96.8% of explicit recasts and 82.4% of implicit recasts being noticed by learners. Moreover, explicit recasts led to successful learner repair in over 90% of cases, compared to 76.5% for implicit recasts. These results suggest that both recast types are effective in promoting learner awareness and language accuracy, with explicit recasts showing a slightly stronger impact. The study highlights the pedagogical value of recasts, particularly in interactive EFL contexts where learners are actively engaged in communicative tasks. Limitations include the context-specific nature of the study and the reliance on observable uptake as the main indicator of noticing. Future research is recommended to explore long-term effects, learner perceptions, and broader classroom contexts.

 

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noticeability, recasts, explicit, implicit, repair

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejel.v10i4.6412

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