Online feedback is frequently implemented during second/foreign language (SL/FL) writing tasks and assessments. This meta-analysis investigates the effectiveness of online feedback in SL/FL writing. After careful screening and the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, this study synthesizes the results of 17 primary studies reporting on students' English SL/FL writing quality after online feedback. The studies involved 1568 students, and the results indicate a Hedges' g effect size of 0.753 for the effectiveness of written feedback in general. Online feedback from teachers/instructors produces a larger effect size (g = 2.248) than online peer feedback (g = 0.777) and online automated feedback (g = 0.696). It was also found that educational levels and task genre mitigate the impact of online feedback on writing quality. Overall, the findings contribute to a better understanding of the impact of online feedback on ESL/EFL writing and provide insights into online ESL/EFL writing instruction.

Research in second language (L2) pragmatics has paid increasing attention to learners’ individual differences, but few studies have examined the relationship between learners’ willingness to communicate (WTC) in L2 and their pragmatic competence. To this end, this study investigates the association between WTC and pragmatic awareness and comprehension of Chinese as a second language (CSL) learners. A total of 80 CSL learners studying abroad in three universities in China participated in this study. Data were collected through a WTC questionnaire, a self-perceived communication competence (SPCC) questionnaire, a pragmatic awareness judgment task, and a multiple-choice test for pragmatic comprehension. Statistical analyses were conducted to explore the relationship between the learners’ pragmatic awareness and pragmatic comprehension on the one hand and their WTC and SPCC in L2 on the other. The findings indicated that SPCC correlated positively with the learners’ L2 pragmatic comprehension, but not with their L2 pragmatic awareness. No correlation was found between WTC and pragmatic awareness and comprehension. The results suggest that SPCC may contribute to learners’ L2 pragmatic comprehension; some implications for teaching and future research directions are also discussed.

Discourse connection is a challenging aspect of writing in a second language. This study seeks to investigate the effects of two classroom instructions on discourse connection in writing for EFL college students, focusing on their argumentative writing. Three classes were exposed to different pre-task conditions: receiving reading materials that provide content support for the writing, receiving planning instructions on effective outlining, and receiving no resources. The results showed that the instructions helped students attain better overall coherence in writing. However, noticeable differences between the two experimental groups emerged in terms of cohesion features. The reading group was found to employ more lexical cohesion devices in writing than the outline group, which indicated a heightened genre awareness. This inquiry helped us identify the reading group’s alignment with content support materials, particularly the change in stance as a factor that contributes to a higher level of lexical cohesion in writing.