大学英语写作同级反馈研究 A Study of Peer Feedback in EFL Writing Classrooms

● Product Approach vs. Process Approach Product-oriented approaches focus on the final product, the coherent, error-free text. Process-approach,on the other hand focuses on the steps involved in drafting and redrafting a piece of work. Proponents of process writing recognize and accept the reality that there will never be the perfect text, but that one can get closer to perfection through producing, reflecting on, discussing, and reworking successive drafts of a text (Nunan, 2001, p272).

● Feedback Feedback refers to the comments, questions, and suggestions a reader gives to a writer, which aims at helping the writer to produce reader-friendly rather than writer-oriented writing( Flower, 1989).

● Peer Feedback Peer feedback is beneficial to students in both the short and long terms, and is a collaborative activity involving students’ reading, critiquing and providing feedback to each other’s writing, to make immediate textual improvement and to develop stronger writing competence by means of mutual scaffolding in the long run (Tsui & Ng, 2000; Zhu, 2001).

The Empirical Study CG: 35 participants EG: 41 participants The classification of participants The upper-level students: NMET scores ≥ 120 The intermediate-level students: 100≤ NMET scores <120 The lower-level students: NMET scores < 100

The feedback providing exercises for EG ◆The copies of a sample essay written by a freshman who did not belong to CG or EG ◆ A feedback sheet, on which the different aspects they should focus on while giving feedback to peers’ writing were listed ◆ They were asked to provide feedback to the sample essays, and write their feedback on the margins of the sample essays. { sample.doc}

The feedback receiving exercises for CG ◆The copies of the same sample essay to that of EG, and the only difference is that on these copies suggestions for the improvement of writing concerning the aspects in EG’s (givers) feedback sheets were provided. ◆The participants of CG were required to revise the sample essays according to the suggestions on it. {sample.doc}

Comparison between Pre-test and Post-test of Two Groups as a Whole ◆Purpose To see whether the 76 participants (35 in the control group, and 41 in the experimental group) had made any significant progress after they experienced the eight weeks’ experiment of peer feedback giving and receiving exercises. ◆Conclusion There is significant difference between the pre-test and the post-test of the 76 participants as a whole. Therefore the 76 participants improved significantly in their post-test, compared with their performance in the pre-test.

Comparison between Pre-test and Post-test of CG ◆Purpose To know whether the participants of the control group had made any significant progress in their writing ◆Conclusion There is not any significant difference between the pre-test and post-test of this group. Therefore, the participants of the control group did not make any significant progress in the post-test.

Comparison between Pre-test and Post-test of Upper-level Participants in CG ◆Purpose To clarify whether the students of the upper level in the control group had made any significant progress ◆Conclusion The participants of the upper level in the control group had made great progress through the experiment.

Comparison between Pre-test and Post-test of Intermediate-level Participants in CG ◆Purpose To know whether the participants of the intermediate level in the control group had made any progress ◆ Conclusion There was not any obvious difference between the pre-test and the post-test of the participants of the intermediate level in the control group.

Comparison between Pre-test and Post-test of Lower-level Participants in CG ◆Purpose To clarify whether there existed any significant difference between the pre-test and post-test of the lower-level participants in CG ◆ Conclusion The participants of this level in the control group did not make any significant progress through the experiment.

Comparison between Pre-test and Post-test of EG ◆Purpose To make sure whether the experimental group had made any significant progress through the experiment ◆Conclusion There is significant difference between the pre-test and the post-test of EG.

Comparison between Pre-test and Post-test of Upper-level Participants in EG ◆Purpose To know whether the participants of the upper level in the experimental group had made any significant progress through this experiment ◆Conclusion There is not any significant difference between the pre-test and the post-test of these students. Thus the participants of the upper level in the experimental group had not improved significantly in their writing abilities after this experiment.

Comparison between Pre-test and Post-test of Intermediate-level Students in EG ◆Purpose To clarify whether the intermediate-level students in EG had made any significant progress ◆Conclusion There is very big difference between the pre-test and the post-test. And the participants of the intermediate level in the experimental group made very significant progress in their writing abilities through the experiment.

Comparison between Pre-test and Post-test of Lower-level Participants in EG ◆Purpose To see whether the experiment helped the students of the lower level in the experimental group improve their writing ◆ Conclusion The participants of this level in this group had made very significant progress in their writing abilities through the experiment

A tentative conclusion Giving feedback can benefit the learners of the lower level, and the intermediate level, but when it comes to the learners of a higher proficiency level, giving feedback can not help them a lot. Instead, receiving it can help them improve significantly.

Implications on Teaching ◆ It is highly necessary now to introduce peer feedback to EFL writing classrooms of the tertiary education. ◆ Peer feedback giving and peer feedback receiving are beneficial to students of different language proficiency levels. Therefore, in our writing classes, teachers can help students improve their writing ability by assigning them different kinds of exercises.