How Proficiency-Pairing Affects Students’ Peer-Mediated Revisions of EFL Writing: Three Case Studies

Abstract

The present study reports on a teacher's classroom-based research into the influence of proficiency-pairing on students' peer-mediated draft revisions. Three students of an EFL writing course at a Chinese university, who formed into peer dyads with their classmates voluntarily, participated in the study. Throughout the EFL writing course, they wrote five expository essays at different time points, had their EFL writing assessed by their peers, and revised their drafts based on the peer feedback received. Results showed that 1) When two students of high proficiency formed a dyad, a high-proficiency student's peer-mediated revisions were mainly about the global aspects of EFL writing; 2) When two students of intermediate proficiency formed a dyad, an intermediate-proficiency student's peer-mediated revisions were almost evenly distributed among the global and local aspects of EFL writing; 3) When a student of intermediate proficiency formed a pair with a student of low proficiency, the intermediate-proficiency student's peer-mediated revisions mainly centered on the local aspects of EFL writing. Implications are drawn for using multiple-peer groupings and fine-tuning teacher's feedback on the writing of students of differing proficiency in the Chinese EFL writing context.

The Combination of Peer and Self-directed Feedback on Writing Achievement of Low Proficiency EFL Students

“…More specifically [20] also showed that grammar and mechanics got improvement than content and organization. In addition, reference [26] also shows positive results on this local aspect of writing. The availability of feedback sheets as a guidance for the low proficiency EFL students is one of the factors to this significant result.…”

<b>Analysis of the scientific production on feedback on teaching English as a foreign language using ERIC database

“…The relation among receiving feedback, motivation and quality of learning in language classes has been regarded as one of the most important factors leading to the interpersonal relations (Hosseini, 2012;Milla & Mayo, 2013;Pishghadam et al, 2015;Wang, 2015). Moreover, feedback is essential to perceive how people think, what they feel, how they react towards others and, to a large extent, it is what determines how people face their every day responsibilities (Simpson, 2006;Alavi & Kaivanpanah, 2007;Wang, 2015).…”

“…Many types of feedback strategies are described in the literature, among them the following are: the ones according to the provider of feedback, i.e., teacher, peer, self and computer-delivered ormediated feedback; the timing of feedback (immediate or delayed feedback); the mode of feedback (direct and indirect feedback); the delivery method of feedback (oral, written, in conference or group section); feedback according to the interest on a particular field of the language (grammar, lexis, organization, structure, among others); feedback in different phases of the writing process (preparing, revising, reformulating steps) (Degteva, 2011;Istifci, 2011;Hosseini, 2012;Elashri, 2013;Esteban & Larios, 2010;Lakarnchua & Wasanasomsithi, 2013;Arslan, 2014;Wang, 2015;Pishghadam et al, 2015).…”

“…Moreover, feedback is essential to perceive how people think, what they feel, how they react towards others and, to a large extent, it is what determines how people face their every day responsibilities (Simpson, 2006;Alavi & Kaivanpanah, 2007;Wang, 2015).…”

“…In the same perspective, empirical studies have demonstrated a vast amount of benefits of providing feedback, including raising students' level of motivation, responsibility and enabling collaborative skills (Kamimura, 2006;Barnawi, 2010;Istifci, 2011;Vurdien, 2012;Arslan, 2014), decreasing students' anxiety and writing apprehension (Kurt & Atay, 2007;Jahin, 2012;Seliem & Ahmed, 2009) and impacting students' subsequent language acquisition (Esteban & Larios, 2010;Milla & Mayo, 2013;Pishghadam, Meidani & Khajavy, 2015;Wang, 2015).…”