Written Feedback on ESL Student Writers' Academic Essays

This paper provides an analysis of written feedback on ESL student writers’ academic essays to shed light on how feedback acts as a communicative tool between the lecturer and students. The objective of this study is to explore the types and usefulness of written feedback on ESL student writers’ academic writing. First, it discusses the importance of feedback and the theoretical framework of the Speech Act Theory. The data for this study comprises written feedback and students’ interviews. The feedback was coded, and a model for analysis was developed based on two primary roles of speech: directive and expressive. Based on this analysis, the paper discusses the types of feedback from which students benefit the most, namely, directive-instruction feedback and expressive-disapproval feedback. The interview conducted as part of this study provided insightson how the students felt about each type of feedback. This study also suggests a possibility of developing a taxonomy of good feedback practices by considering the views of the giver and receiver of written feedback.

[1]  M. Weaver,et al.  Do students value feedback? Student perceptions of tutors’ written responses , 2006 .

[2]  Ken Hyland,et al.  Sugaring the Pill: Praise and Criticism in Written Feedback. , 2001 .

[3]  Richard A. Parker,et al.  Designing and Conducting Survey Research: A Comprehensive Guide , 1992 .

[4]  Richard Straub.  The student, the text, and the classroom context: A case study of teacher response , 2000 .

[5]  J. Hattie,et al.  The Power of Feedback , 2007 .

[6]  J. Hayes.  A new framework for understanding cognition and affect in writing. , 1996 .

[7]  R. Butler.  ENHANCING AND UNDERMINING INTRINSIC MOTIVATION: THE EFFECTS OF TASK‐INVOLVING AND EGO‐INVOLVING EVALUATION ON INTEREST AND PERFORMANCE , 1988 .

[8]  Vijay Kumar,et al.  An analysis of written feedback on a PhD thesis , 2007 .

[9]  D. Nicol,et al.  Formative assessment and self‐regulated learning: a model and seven principles of good feedback practice , 2006 .

[10]  M. S. Sternglass.  Time To Know Them: A Longitudinal Study of Writing and Learning at the College Level , 1997 .

[11]  Ken Hyland,et al.  PROVIDING PRODUCTIVE FEEDBACK , 1990 .

[12]  Anselm L. Strauss,et al.  Basics of qualitative research : techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory , 1998 .

[13]  Vijay Kumar,et al.  Feedback and self‐regulated learning: insights from supervisors’ and PhD examiners’ reports , 2010 .

[14]  N. Sommers,et al.  The Novice as Expert: Writing the Freshman Year , 2004, College Composition & Communication.

[15]  A. Strauss,et al.  The discovery of grounded theory: strategies for qualitative research aldine de gruyter , 1968 .

[16]  Arkalgud Ramaprasad,et al.  On the definition of feedback , 1983 .

[17]  Vivian Zamel.  Responding to Student Writing , 1985 .

[18]  Ronald F. Lunsford.  When Less Is More: Principles for Responding in the Disciplines. , 1997 .

[19]  Dana R. Ferris,et al.  Treatment of Error in Second Language Student Writing , 2002 .

[20]  Title Feedback on second language students ' writing , 2006 .

[21]  Richard L. Larson,et al.  Research on Written Composition: New Directions for Teaching , 1987 .

[22]  C. Schunn,et al.  Commenting on Writing , 2006 .

[23]  A. Cohen,et al.  Second Language Writing: Feedback on compositions: teacher and student verbal reports , 1990 .

[24]  Ann K. Fathman,et al.  Second Language Writing: Teacher response to student writing: focus on form versus content , 1990 .

[25]  Ken Hyland,et al.  Feedback on second language students' writing , 2006, Language Teaching.

[26]  C. Jago.  Responding to Student Writing: Keep Pedaling!. , 2001 .

[27]  D. Ferris.  Student Reactions to Teacher Response in Multiple‐Draft Composition Classrooms* , 1995 .

[28]  J. Hayes,et al.  A Cognitive Process Theory of Writing , 1981, College Composition & Communication.

[29]  H. Saito.  Teachers' Practices and Students' Preferences for Feedback on Second Language Writing: A Case Study of Adult ESL Learners. , 1994 .

[30]  D. Ferris,et al.  Teacher commentary on student writing: Descriptions & implications , 1997 .

[31]  C. Knoblauch,et al.  On Students' Rights to Their Own Texts: A Model of Teacher Response , 1982 .

[32]  D. Sadler.  Formative assessment and the design of instructional systems , 1989 .

[33]  Lynn M. Goldstein.  Questions and answers about teacher written commentary and student revision: teachers and students working together , 2004 .

[34]  Susan Conrad,et al.  Student Input and Negotiation of Meaning in ESL Writing Conferences , 1990 .

[35]  Nina Dansky Ziv,et al.  The Effect of Teacher Comments on the Writing of Four College Freshmen. , 1980 .

[36]  J. Emig.  Writing as a Mode of Learning. , 1977 .

[37]  John R. Searle,et al.  Speech Acts: An Essay in the Philosophy of Language , 1970 .

[38]  Erika Lindemann.  A rhetoric for writing teachers , 1982 .

[39]  A. Strauss,et al.  The discovery of grounded theory: strategies for qualitative research aldine de gruyter , 1968 .

[40]  Helen Timperley,et al.  Feedback to Writing, Assessment for Teaching and Learning and Student Progress. , 2010 .

[41]  R. Jakobson.  Linguistics and poetics , 1960 .

[42]  S. Bennett,et al.  A rhetoric for writing teachers , 1982 .

[43]  Ilona Leki.  THE PREFERENCES OF ESL STUDENTS FOR ERROR CORRECTION IN COLLEGE-LEVEL WRITING CLASSES , 1991 .

[44]  Shuqiang Zhang.  Reexamining the affective advantage of peer feedback in the ESL writing class , 1995 .

[45]  Mary S. Lawrence.  Writing As a Thinking Process , 1972 .

[46]  L. S. Vygotksy.  Mind in society: the development of higher psychological processes , 1978 .

[47]  Carl James,et al.  The scope of language awareness , 1992 .