B) Explicit vs. implicit correction
In explicit correction the student is provided with the correct form or a suggestion what the error is, whereas implicit treatment of errors aims at actively involving the learners in the process of identifying and correcting their own errors. Implicit corrective practices in written communication involve, simple underlining, marginal description, encircling, writing comments on the margins (Hashimoto, 2004 and Corpuz 2011), after which students have to locate and correct errors themselves (Hadla, 2006), or the use of correction codes. The technique of Error Correction Code involves underlining the mistakes and providing a correction code that includes symbols and abbreviations to indicate the nature of the error, for instance, ‘the teacher may use the symbol “Sp” to refer to “wrong spelling”, “WW” for “wrong word” (Wang, 2010:194) or the symbol // to indicate that a new line or paragraph is needed. The Error Correction Code has a double focus: to inform the L2 student that an error has been made and inform on the kind of error made (Hendrickson, 1984). Implicit correction practices also involve writing down the errors to be corrected later on and/or providing oral feedback in oral communication activities.
With regards to the best suggested practices, the most recurrent one in written and oral discourse is to provide first implicit error treatment and if this fails then turn to explicit. Explicit error treatment is considered by authors