WRITING only on language but also on discourse

features such as organisation, content,

relevance and clarity.

Peer review
Peer review can be organised in pairs
or in groups of three or four. Review can
be response-centred, where readers simply
offer a response to the writer’s work, or
advice-centred, where the readers offer
specific suggestions for revision.
This technique can be used both
with paragraphs and longer pieces of
writing, and is, therefore, suitable for
intermediate levels upwards. Comments
are usually made in the target language,
but this may not be realistic with lower-
For Siân Morgan’s

D
o you ever get the
level students, who could use their L1
impression that in some
and still benefit from the activity.
students, discussing each ways writing is becoming an
‘endangered species’ in
other’s work creates a language teaching? It is conspicuously Why use peer review?
absent from some general coursebooks There are many benefits to using peer
win–win situation. and appears as an afterthought at the review. Here are six of the most
end of the unit in others. Timetable convincing:
constraints mean that teachers have to
choose how to organise valuable contact 1 It increases learner autonomy.
time and correcting written work can be Students take more responsibility for
very time-consuming for busy their work and are less dependent on
professionals. the teacher.
Yet acceptable writing skills persist
2 It increases audience
as a crucial factor in evaluating
awareness.
performance and achieving promotion
Writers, who are normally ‘removed’
in work and study. Learners of English
from their audience, can see whether
may be asked to produce appropriate
their intended meaning has been
and effective writing in business
understood by the target readers, thus
contexts, as well as to attain the high
creating a shared context similar to
standards of accuracy and coherence
spoken interaction.
demanded in academic writing.
If we accept that a low level of 3 It generates meaningful
writing ability excludes learners from student talk.
certain professional and academic All four skills are used as students can
communities, then we may be doing our share uncertainties, ask for clarification
learners a disservice if we do not spend and exchange ideas and opinions. This
time developing this skill in our lessons. can be done with higher proficiency
How, then, can teachers reconcile the levels in L2, or in L1 with lower levels.
constraints of having too little time and
too many commitments and the need to 4 Students learn from each other.
help our students improve their writing The discussion of possible alternatives
skills? to express meaning allows students to
One valuable form of collaborative share a wider pool of ideas and
learning, which may help teachers make linguistic resources. A climate of ‘cross-
better use of time and create a mutually fertilisation’ can emerge as they are
supportive and productive learning exposed to different thinking and
environment, is peer review. problem-solving styles.
5 It develops critical awareness.
What is peer review?
Becoming aware of other people’s
After making preliminary written drafts, problems in drafting may help students
two or more students exchange them to view their own work more critically.
and discuss the writers’ meaning and
purpose together. The writers can then, 6 It is pitched at the
if they wish, revise the text according to learners’ level.
the comments and queries received from Students can use L1 or interlanguage
the readers. This feedback may focus not knowledge to gain control of the task. 

• www.etprofessional.com • ENGLISH TEACHING professional • Issue 38 May 2005 • 29

 Peer review
Spelling and punctuation Working with peer review
● Does the writer use punctuation
Different aspects of writing can be
appropriately and judiciously? (eg
focused on according to the level of the
excessive use of exclamation marks
class. Intermediate students may cope
can be quite tiring for the reader)
better with organisation and cohesion,
● Any spelling mistakes, especially in whereas with more advanced groups a
 titles or introductions, can create a
Preparing students more critical approach to text types can
negative effect on a reader. Could lead to fruitful discussion. For example,
for peer review these have been avoided by using a recently the university students I teach
Some students may be unfamiliar with dictionary or spellcheck? enjoyed a cross-cultural comparison of
this activity, particularly if they come letters of application and produced
from cultures where the role of the Register (appropriacy, consistency) some very persuasive cover letters.
teacher is seen to be the primary one, ● Is the register suited to the task and the Feedback can be given written,
and so it may need to be introduced audience? We tend to use a more formal verbally or both. Giving written
gradually and with sensitivity. register for reports, academic work or feedback first gives students time to
For peer review to work, it is job applications, whereas a more reflect upon any uncertainties they may
important for the teacher to informal style is usual when writing have. This could be followed up by a
demonstrate appropriate responses to letters or emails to friends. (Remember discussion during which the reader or
an anonymous sample of student that context is very important when writer reads aloud any parts they wish
writing. What kind of features could we deciding tone and register.) to query, and asks questions or makes
focus on? Here are some ideas: suggestions. Here peer response
● Is there a consistent use of register?
modelling needs to be tailored to the
Grammar (range and accuracy) particular learning situation. Lower-level
Content (relevance, interest)
● Is the language limited or has the students, for example, may also need
writer used a good range of ● Is the content interesting and relevant
more language support from the teacher.
vocabulary and structures? to the topic?

● Do mistakes interfere with ● Are points supported with examples? Training students
comprehension or are they for the ● Does the writer use personal to review
most part non-impeding? (Remember examples or humour (where
that if students attempt to experiment appropriate) to create interest? Research by J Stanley has shown that
with language, errors are more likely the quality of peer feedback is improved
to occur, so see these in the context of Communicative effect on reader by training and so, initially, a guided
response form may help students to
writers trying to extend their range.) ● This is probably the most important
reflect upon the different elements of a
● Are some errors due to insufficient factor and the most difficult to define.
piece of writing. Here are some examples
proofreading? If the reader has enjoyed reading the
of questions to guide the reader:
text, it has been a successful piece of
Layout and organisation communication! ● Is the language clear and for the most
part accurate?
● Is the layout suited to the task?
(eg appropriate headings for letters, One step at a time ● Has the writing been divided clearly
reports) This may all seem like a tall order, but into paragraphs?
● Is the writing divided up into clear one way to start would be to analyse ● Has the writer used a range of linking
paragraphs? Is there an introduction just one feature at a time, so as not to devices appropriately?
and a conclusion? overload the cognitive processes. Or the
● Is the content interesting and relevant
class could be divided into groups and
● Do the ideas flow or do they ‘wander’ to the topic?
each group asked to analyse the same
a little?
piece of writing for different features. ● Does the writer support opinions with
Class feedback of findings could be a examples?
Cohesion and use of linkers
springboard for discussion. ● Was there anything you would have
● Has the writer used appropriate
Gradually, the class can discuss changed or written differently?
linking devices to ‘signpost’? (eg
together not only style and sentence
firstly, furthermore, on the one hand, ● What did you particularly like about
structure but also whether organisation,
however, by contrast, despite, for the work?
content and clarity have made it a
example, consequently, in conclusion)
successful piece of writing. Exploring
● Has the writer used a wide range of not only what has gone ‘wrong’, but also Remember, too, that students may need
devices to ‘hang’ the text together? what has worked well should gradually guidance in how to word their responses
(eg use of synonyms, reference or raise students’ awareness of what is in an unthreatening way. Examples of
more sophisticated linkers, such as considered to be effective writing in simple peer comments may help them
one central concern for writers is ..., English, which may be rather different hedge their queries. For example:
more importantly, on balance, to put from what is considered effective in their ● I didn’t understand X. Could you
it another way …, this is why ...) own rhetorical tradition. express this more simply?

30 • Issue 38 May 2005 • ENGLISH TEACHING professional • www.etprofessional.com •

 Students from some cultures feel 
Each teacher knows uncomfortable receiving feedback from
anyone other than the teacher, whom In conclusion, it seems to me that
their class best and they see as an unquestionable figure of successfully implemented peer review
authority. They may also feel reluctant can be a very valuable technique and is
can experiment to to comment negatively on their peers’ worth including in a writing
work. I point out to my students that programme. The time invested in in-
find what is most most published authors acknowledge class peer activities is often amply
help from others in revising their work, rewarded by improvement in students’
appropriate for their and even this article will have been writing. Perhaps more importantly, it
commented on by colleagues and increases motivation to make multiple
teaching situation revised before submission to the editor. drafts and leads to a more positive
In my own teaching situation (at an attitude towards writing.
Italian university), taped interviews with I would certainly agree with
● Perhaps this example would fit better students suggest that they feel that peer researchers such as Jacobs et al, who
in the next paragraph? comments offer a useful additional concluded that peer review can form an
● Maybe you could use a stronger word perspective to teacher feedback, but important element in a ‘middle path’, a
here? that teacher evaluation is ultimately judicious combination of self-response,
● The title was eyecatching and clear. perceived as more authoritative and peer response and teacher response to
‘official’. Possibly this is because they writing.
● I like the conclusion / this sentence. consider the teacher as the ‘gatekeeper’ My own students certainly felt they
● Use a spellcheck, J! of marks. benefited from the experience and saw
Clearly all these factors need to be peer revision as a win–win situation, as
Sometimes just responding as an considered when setting up a peer the following comments illustrate:
interested reader, eg revision project. ‘I understand my mistakes better and I
I agree.
am given the possibility to combine my
I know exactly what you mean.
This happened to me too.
Student preferences ideas and others’ to get a better result.’
shows the writer that you have engaged Some researchers have found that ‘Sometimes giving advice to others helps
with their meaning and this can be very students tend to focus on surface rather me in thinking about my own writing and
motivating! than discourse features during revision. how I could improve it.’
Whether students focus on change in
The teacher could design a response ‘I think collaborative writing can teach us
form rather than meaning may depend
sheet to fit in with the needs of their much more than individual work. I learn
on their level of English and their
learners or the aspect of writing they something from my peers’ writing and am
expertise as writers. Experienced writers
would like to focus on. In addition, more critical of my own.’
make more frequent meaning changes
published materials such as Feedback whereas novice writers tend to confine ‘I feel I’m becoming more confident with
feature excellent structured response their corrections to copy editing and writing in general.’ ETp
sheets adapted to a particular writing proofreading. Feedback questionnaires
task. Alternatively, many writing with my own (advanced-level) students Jacobs, G M, Curtis, A, Braine, G and
websites (found through search engines) suggest that while they make both kinds Huang, S ‘Feedback on student writing:
offer a range of response sheets taking the middle path’ Journal of
of change, meaning changes are the ones
particularly suited to academic writing. Second Language Writing, 7 307–317
they prefer. Here are some examples of 1994
different types of peer comments made
Levine, A, Oded, B, Connor, U and
Cultural factors during recent writing assignments on Asons, I ‘Variation in EFL-ESL peer
articles and cover letters. response’ TESL-EJ 6 (3) 2002
One study (by Levine et al ) has shown
that a common cultural or linguistic ● ‘I liked the part beginning with ‘in Sherman, J Feedback OUP 1994
background has a positive effect on consequence, ...’ I think it is very Stanley, J 1992 ‘Coaching student
collaboration with an extended oral communicative and effective.’ writers to become effective peer
phase, so monolingual groups may feel evaluators’ Journal of Second Language
● ‘The conclusion could be just a bit longer.’ Writing 1 217–233 1992
more comfortable discussing their
scripts, and may use L1 as an ● ‘You have used one question – good!
Siân Morgan teaches at
instrument for task control if necessary. Add another one so it’s more emphatic.’ the University of Modena
and Reggio Emilia in
In contrast, mixed nationality groups ● ‘You might have varied the length of Italy. She has co-written
may feel less confident with face-to-face the sentences.’ several vocabulary
verbal contact and prefer to give written worksheets on new
● ‘Why don’t you include further words for OUP, which
feedback. In this case they have time to are downloadable from
information about the economic studies www.oup.com/elt/global/
reflect and formulate their responses
you did at the faculty?’ teachersclub. She is
more clearly. Each teacher knows their currently studying for an
class best and can experiment to find ● ‘Perhaps you have been too specific MA in TESOL at Sheffield
Hallam University, UK.
what is most appropriate for their and detailed about your qualifications.
sianmorgan@katamail.com
teaching situation. They will be included in your resumé.’

• www.etprofessional.com • ENGLISH TEACHING professional • Issue 38 May 2005 • 31