Feedback is an essential part of the language learning process. It helps learners to see their progress and identify areas for development. However, when and how to give feedback can be a challenge. 

In this blog post, I’ll explore some minimal-prep, creative ways to give feedback that boosts student confidence and helps learners reach their goals.

1. Reframe negative feedback

Giving students the confidence to speak is absolutely crucial for successful language learning. Feedback framed in a negative way or that is overly harsh can be highly de-motivating and can even result in learners becoming disengaged or dropping out of learning entirely. 

For this reason, it is good to start with things the student does well by praising their achievements and giving recognition for their hard work. Little phrases such as "Well done!" and "You studied a lot!" can be very motivating. 

Every learner will have things that they are "good" and "bad" at, but no one likes to hear that they are "bad" at something. Instead, reframe things students lack confidence in as "areas for development." This way, they have tangible areas to focus on and their weaknesses are perceived as skills that they haven’t quite mastered yet. 

This graphic organizer from Ellii’s Functional Business lesson on Giving Feedback is a good example of this practice in action. It can be used by learners to help them give each other feedback as well as by teachers. 

2. Encourage self-reflection

Training students to take learning into their own hands has many benefits. Autonomous learners can set their own goals, find new ways to learn, and develop their skills more rapidly overall. 

In terms of self-reflection, supporting learners to be aware of their progress and to identify their goals and areas for improvement can be game changing. Encourage them to seek a greater understanding of their own abilities by: 

• demonstrating tools such as spelling and grammar checkers
• teaching them to use AI tools responsibly
• using voice-recognition tools to practice speaking
• encouraging them to self-assess their skills
• embracing peer feedback
• allocating time at the end of class to review and reflect

3. Show progress

Progression is powerful. As humans, our inner trolls often default to how little we’ve achieved or how much we still need to do. However, looking back can be a huge boost to our confidence. Reflecting on distance traveled over a period of time can help us realize how much we have changed and grown. 

Having students review written or spoken work they created at the beginning of a course and comparing it to work they completed towards the end of the course can have a huge impact on confidence. 

So too can making a list of all the things they have achieved over a certain period of time. To do this, you could give them the Ellii trail map flashcard and have them plot key milestones along the way, or have them simply draw their own map or plot their accomplishments on a line on a piece of paper. 

4. Use technology & AI tools

Ellii offers a new way for you to leave students feedback. The Grade Feed is now powered by AI and you can choose manual, suggested, or automatic feedback modes. If you choose to let AI suggest student grades and add a comment, all you need to do is review and accept or edit the suggestions. You can even leave them a voice note!

5. Focus on specifics

Giving feedback that helps learners to develop means identifying precise subskills to study and practice. Vague feedback, such as "You need to work on your writing," will give students an idea of what they need to improve, but isn’t specific enough to let them know how to get better at writing. 

To get specific, review a piece of the student’s writing together. Have them identify aspects of the text that could be improved or show them one or two errors that they consistently make. Try to focus on the subskills that will make the biggest difference. 

For example, perhaps a learner often forgets to put a capital letter at the beginning of a sentence. Have them focus on that in their next text.

You could refer to a list of skills tracked to their language level or an assessment they are preparing for (e.g., CAE, IELTS). Alternatively, work with the whole class to create a list of subskills for their level.

Think carefully about how many areas for development to give your learners. Too many could be overwhelming and de-motivating for some, while too few might not be challenging enough for others. The best way to make this decision is with your learner based on their learning preferences and goals. 

Here are some related Ellii resources and blogs that we think you’ll love. 

Resources: 

• Self-Evaluation Form
• My Language Goals
• Weekly Reflection
• The Language of Feedback

Blogs: 

• The Importance of a Growth Mindset for Learning & Teaching
• 12 Ellii Flashcards Perfect for Planning & Reflection

How do you give feedback? Any top tips or teaching ideas? We’d love to hear them.