ABSTRACT
The present study examines how structured feedback mechanisms influences coherence in upper primary ESL learners’ writing in the Indian multilingual context. In the analysis of writing described as well over 600 compositions within a three-stage writing process of revision and feedback we examined indications of coherence, namely, how lexical, and structural knowledge could be developed through guided revision. The results indicate an inverse relationship r = -0.89, p < 0.001 where the text length was negatively related to lexical diversity, meaning that although the revision process resulted in a longer text, what developed in the students' writing and their revision processes were effective and concise, linguistically complex compositions in writing. These results can be interpreted in pedagogical terms for ESL writing pedagogy and have direct implications for developing structured feedback mechanisms to help students recognize and respond to coherence and cohesion rather than length in multilingual context.
