Feedback on Improvement of Writing Instruction in Chinese Universities

【Abstract】Feedback，as an instructional practice，plays a significant role in both facilitation and motivation of language learning.With changes in pedagogical perspectives and practices，feedback takes more forms in the way of language teaching and learning.

【Key words】feedback； writing

As Keh （1990） considered，feedback might be understood as a kind of information input which is given by readers to writers for the purpose of revising the writing.In the field of language teaching，many forms of feedbacks have emerged，for example error correction，peer feedback.With regard to the error correction feedback，students have expressed a great deal of expectation on teacher corrective feedback over peer feedback（Chandler 2003）.Correcting errors in written texts，however，might be helpful at removing errors in the following drafts，but there is no help at the improvement of linguistic accuracy in the future writing.Apart from the error corrective feedback on English writing，the function of peer feedback cannot be ignored，especially in English teaching in Chinese universities.As a more teacher-oriented approach is quite common among the Chinese Universities classes，students tend to play passive roles in writing acquisition.Therefore，getting more student involvement in revision and evaluation process might enhance students learning motivation，which is the effect of the peer feedback，to some degree.Besides，many studies remain positive about the role of peer feedback in writing.For example，Paulus （1999） considers that the peer feedback has a great deal of impact on student revision and therefore has improved the quality of texts.However，as Hyland，K and Hyland F （2006） suggested，having a successful peer feedback，student training should be taken into consideration in pursuit of facilitation of a higher level involvement in tasks.

When it comes to the current situation of English writing teaching in Chinese universities，it might to be analyzed as follows：firstly，exam-oriented approach is heavily applied in writing teaching； for instance，according to Mo （2012），some interviewed teachers are engaged their writing teaching on the ground of CET4 criteria grading.Also，the teacher heavily depends on writing textbooks which have many examination preparation model writings.Meanwhile，many students want to improve their writing in pursuit of passing CET4 and CET6 and then graduate successfully rather than high enthusiasm on writing （Mo 2012）.Secondly，English writing teaching is more likely to be teacher-oriented and product-orientated in China.Teacher seems to be the only one at imparting knowledge and students are taking notes.Students learn to writing through imitating the target text which provided by teacher.Thirdly，few capable English writing teachers.In Mos investigation （2012），majority of interviewed English teachers are inexperienced teachers who have no English writing teaching background.Those inexperienced teachers might not provide sufficient instructions to students，and therefore students lose interests in writing gradually.

By taking the situation into consideration，it is more helpful to use effective forms of feedback in English writing teaching process.Teachers who are going to mark English writings should be trained.Instead of underlining errors and marking in writing，it is better to apply more forms of written feedback，which could reduce misleading of teacher feedback and therefore enhance the effect of teacher feedback on student writing revision.Specifically，more direct error correction feedbacks such as deleting superfluous words or expressions，inserting the needed words and supplying correct grammar forms and structures could be presented in the way of writing feedbacks for sake of target language acquisitions.Moreover，using systematic codes which are familiarized by students to locate errors and signify types of errors.As for，the peer feedback a relative training session should also be given before doing the peer feedback，which makes students clear about what they need to be done and how they should do.Besides，students read their peers works and give comments might help them balance their own weak points and deepen the understanding of teacher feedback，for more communicative chances are provided in the way of peer reviewing.

Given the whole previous analysis，effective feedbacks serve writers well so as to the improvement of writing proficiency by presenting suggestive ideas and corrections and even comments.More specific，when conducting the written feedback，more direct error corrections and more systemic codes should be used.At the same time，the enhancement of students involvement in English teaching classes by conducting peer feedback is not only increases students interests in English writing，but also improve their language acquisition.

Reference：

[1]Chandler，J.（2003） The Efficacy of Various Kinds of Error Feedback for Improvement in the Accuracy and Fluency of L2 Student Writing，Journal of Second Language Writing，12（3），267-296.

[2]Haiwen Mo （2012） 'A Study of the Teaching of ESL Writing in Colleges in China'，International Journal of English Linguistics，2（1），118.

[3]Hyland，K.and Hyland，F.（ed.） （2006） Feedback in Second Language Witing：Contexts and Issues.Cambridge：Cambridge University Press.

[4]Keh，C.L.（1990） 'Feedback in the Writing Process：A Model and Methods for Implementation'，ELT Journal，44（4），294-304.

[5]Paulus，T.（1999） The Effect of Peer and Teacher Feedback on Student Writing.Journal of Second Language Writing，8，265-289.

作者簡介：孫瑜（1988.3～），女，天津人，陜西科技大學鎬京學院，助教，學歷（2012級碩士）研究方向：對外英語教育。