Enhancing feedback literacy in middle school foreign language classrooms: A review of teacher practices, challenges and recommendations

Abstract

The role of feedback literacy in enhancing learning outcomes has become increasingly significant in foreign language education. However, middle school learners' unique cognitive-affective challenges make it imperative to develop feedback mechanisms tailored to their developmental needs. Situated within the context of middle school foreign language classrooms, this study synthesized teacher-mediated feedback practices. The findings highlighted feedback literacy as a multidimensional construct combining learner agency, pedagogical expertise, and cultural mediation, and stressed adolescent developmental sensitivity. Teacher practices incorporating dialogic inquiry, multimodal resources, and structured peer feedback were found beneficial to enhance learning and adaptability competencies when paired with motivational strategies. The research also examined the challenges encountered by teachers in practice, such as error correction, institutional constraints, and the influence of sociocultural factors on the implementation of feedback. The study concluded with recommendations to tackle these issues, including building an institutionalized modular feedback ecosystem, implementing neurocognitive-guided differentiated feedback strategies, and developing culturally adaptive multidimensional feedback mechanisms. These practices and strategies aim to improve feedback literacy and support foreign language learning in middle schools.