VietTESOL International Convention 2026

This paper aims to deepen current understandings of the sociocultural dimensions involved in the provision of oral corrective feedback (OCF) in online L2 instruction. In particular, it examines how learners’ cultural backgrounds shape teachers’ oral error correction practices by drawing on the framework proposed by Chen and Liu (2021). Using qualitative content analysis, the study analyzed audio- and video-based online L2 instructional sessions alongside asynchronous email interviews with ten Filipino online L2 teachers. The findings revealed that empathy and sensitivity to learner emotions played a central role in participants’ OCF practices. Teachers carefully adjusted their feedback strategies to maintain a supportive and positive classroom atmosphere, particularly in intercultural online learning environments. The study also identified instances of cultural stereotyping that informed teachers’ perceptions of learners and their communicative behaviors. These perceptions commonly characterized Taiwanese learners as meticulous and academically attentive, while Korean learners were often viewed as highly time-conscious individuals. Such cultural assumptions influenced not only the delivery of feedback but also teachers’ decisions regarding timing, tone, and interactional style. Furthermore, the findings provide new insights into reformulation as an OCF strategy by highlighting its interpersonal and sociocultural dimensions beyond its traditionally linguistic function. Overall, the study contributes to the growing field of intercultural language teaching by demonstrating how oral corrective feedback is shaped not only by pedagogical concerns but also by culturally situated understandings of learners within Asian L2 instructional contexts.