Abstract

In this article we present an experimental study with a cognitive approach to Spanish as a foreign language (SFL). Its aim was to examine response time (rt) during error repair in the use of prepositions a, de, en, por and para following the introduction of a modality of metalinguistic written corrective feedback (WCF) (direct and indirect). The experiment items were implemented with the software E-prime 2.0, which allows the registration of rt of every phase of the corrective intervention. Rt’s were measured in 2 instances: (1) when subjects answered items correctly the first time, (2) when they answered correctly after a strategy of WCF. Results indicate that rt’s of correct answers in the first instance are higher than rt’s that follow WCF, and that competence level is a key factor that has an impact in higher or lower correction and rt’s. Moreover, we were able to obtain evidence of prepositions por and para showing the highest rt average of corrected errors.