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As a result of increasing migration worldwide, there are many newcomers to L2 classrooms who starttheir learning at pre-beginner proficiency levels creating a need for developing further supportivepedagogical feedback strategies (Jakobson, 2018). This study highlights the need for further research onfeedback as an important pedagogical resource, especially in adult beginner-learner contexts.The hermeneutic dialogue or interaction is based on the concept of “the fusion of horizons” (Gadamer,2010). Following this notion, this study focuses on teacher written feedback from three perspectives: 1.Teacher feedback practices, 2. Teacher beliefs about feedback, and, 3. Student preferences concerningfeedback. Using questionnaires for both teachers and students together with a feedback analysismodel, the study was conducted in a web-based Swedish-as-a-Second-Language course and includedthree experienced teachers and their beginner-level L2 students of culturally diverse backgrounds.Unlike previous studies, in this study, the focus, i.e. what the teachers focus on in comments, is distinguished from manners, i.e. how the teachers communicate with the students. Thus, response isdivided into two main areas, focus and manner. Feedback analysis revealed that teachers focused onlanguage accuracy. Even if there were discrepancies and variations between teachers about theirpreferences, they found questions to be one of the most important manners of giving feedback, thoughdifficult to formulate. Data from questionnaires showed that a large majority of students chosefeedback on grammatical structures as their first priority, while feedback on content and spelling wereseen as less important areas. The students generally valued all feedback manners, but clearly preferredspecific praise and specific criticism. It is suggested that there is a need to establish an open teacherstudent dialogue in a web-based context in order to facilitate effective interaction. Not only is a betteralignment between students’ expectations and teachers´ practices and beliefs required but also effortsto open ways for new understanding.

Keywords: feedback for adult beginner L2-students, interaction, teacher feedback practices and beliefs,student preferences

References

Gadamer, H.- G. 2010 [1960]. Wahrheit und Methode. Grundzüge einer philosophischen Hermeneutik.Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck.

Jakobson, L. (2018). Teacher written feedback on adult beginners’ writing in a second language.Research gaps and theoretical perspectives. ITL - International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 169, 235–2