Using peer review with Chinese ESL student writers

Abstract

Peer review has a prominent place in process-oriented writing instruction. In this paper, I share my developing use of peer review in an academic writing course for Chinese ESL learners. After reviewing the relevant literature, I describe the context in which I implemented peer review and conducted practitioner research into its productive use. Next, I present and discuss the training activities and follow-ups I used to prepare my students for effective peer review. The various instructional practices have been experimented with and refined in a 3-year action research effort to best facilitate my students’ acquisition of academic writing skills and hence enhance the quality of classroom life. In conclusion I summarize student performance in my most recent writing class and consider several instructional changes that are likely to help students understand better and thus benefit more from peer review.