The role of teacher feedback in the classroom-based assessment of oral English as an second or additional language is very under-theorized and poorly described compared with studies of feedback in second language writing assessment (eg. Hyland & Hyland, 2007) and teacher-student interaction in classrooms more generally (eg. Wells, 2006, Gibbons, 2006). Giving constructive feedback to students about specific aspects of their oral language skills provides students with opportunities for learning and maximizes their potential to do better in subsequent assessment tasks. However, such feedback requires not only a high level of teacher language awareness and sensitivity but perhaps more importantly, active student understanding and cooperation. Yet studies of student participation in oral interactions suggest that a variety of individual, cultural and situational factors may affect students’ attitudes to teacher feedback practices, and that it may be difficult to generalize “good” feedback practices across contexts and cultures.

Adopting a critical sociocultural approach, this paper reports on the findings of a large action-research study of formative assessment in the English (second language) subject in Hong Kong secondary schools. Drawing on pre/post-feedback interview data, student and teacher reflections, and observation and analysis of feedback episodes between teachers and students, the paper seeks to explain the diverse range of attitudes and practices of Cantonese – background English language learners in reaction to significant changes to teacher feedback in spoken ESL assessment interactions as part of a system-wide move towards assessment for learning. In particular, the paper seeks to explain why some learners were so resistant to teacher-led questioning. The implications of the research for the (re)interpretation of feedback within assessment theory and for teacher professional development will also be discussed.