ABSTRACT
As discussed in chapter 1, one of the most common suggestions to come from L1 scholarship on the process approach in composition instruction is the use of collaborative peer review in writing classes. As L2 writing specialists began to embrace the process approach, the implementation of peer response in ESL writing classes was rapid and widespread, especially in the United States. Unlike discussions of teacher feedback (especially as to error correction), L2 researcher and instructor views on peer response were, at least initially, almost universally enthusiastic and optimistic. However, as time went on, many ESL writing instructors began to express reservations about the efficacy of peer feedback for L2 writers. These evolving attitudes were bolstered by research findings during the 1990s that suggested, for instance, that peer feedback was not only ineffective in accomplishing its purposes (to help students revise and improve their writing quality) but also perhaps inappropriate given students’ range of cultural norms and expectations about group dynamics, the role of the teacher, and face-saving.
