In wireless telecommunications systems, such as wireless local area networks, a flexible, less complex, and bandwidth efficient forward error correction method can be achieved by applying a first convolutional coding scheme to the bits in a first portion of a data block and a second convolutional coding scheme to the bits in a second portion of the data block, wherein the second portion of the data block may encompass a remaining portion of the data block, excluding the first portion, or the entire data block, including the first portion. While the first coding scheme employs a first code rate, the second coding scheme employs a second code rate that is higher than the first code rate. The higher rate makes it possible to incorporate the one or more tail bits into the second portion of the data block, and therefore, avoid generating any additional symbols, such as orthogonal frequency division multiplexing symbols, to exclusively modulate the tail bits.