about the strengths of the essay- the parts that were most interesting to you as you read.
Also,
think about how the content can be improved You can check the rubric to better understand
the expectations for the content of the essay.
Step 3: SCAN
Detailed read: Scan the entire paper and prepare a brief outline of the essay by checking the
essay's thesis statement and the topic sentence, supporting ideas, examples, and conclusion
sentence in each body paragraph. On the outline you prepare, mark "N/ A" if any of these
components is missing. Put a question mark (?) if any of these components is not clear.
Step 4: REREAD
Reread your partner's essay one more time, focusing on strengths of the essay and points to
consider for improving it. You can take notes on the essay if you like.
Step 5: WRITE ALETTER
After reviewing your notes, list what you feel are the essay's strongest points and explain the
reasons why you find them strong Then, choose points that need improvement. Carefully write
or type an explanation of each of these points and provide suggestions for how to improve
each one. This feedback must be written in complete sentences in a letter form. You can check
the provided example letter (see Figure 1). Make sure your letter is well-organized and
understandable. Again, remember not to mark or correct any grammar on your partner's
paper.
Step 6: BRING YOUR LETTER TO CLASS
On the due clate, bring two copies of your letter to class (one copy for your partner and one
for your teacher), as well as your peer's essay.
FEEDBACK EXCHANGE IN CLASS
After composing the feedback letter at home, students bring two copies of their letters to
class.
In my course, I graded peer-review work as a part of the writing assignments, so I collected
one of the copies for evaluation and for providing feedback to the feedback givers. Students
share the other copy with their peers, as explained in Step 7 below. Depending on the length
of the writing assignment, five to ten minutes of peer-feedback exchange can be provided in
class. The teacher should supervise this feedback-exchange session in case students need
guidance.
Step 7: SHARE WITH YOUR PARTNER
In class, you and your partner will talk about your feedback. Give your letter to your peer and
let him or her read it. Then, provide a brief explanation of the points you made in the letter. If
your partner has difficulty understanding your comments, try to explain them in a different
way. You may also ask me (your teacher) for help. Please remember that your goal is to help
your partner notice the essay's strengths and the points to improve in order to continue to
develop the essay before the final drart.
SOME POINTS TO CONSIDER FOR TEACHERS
It is important to provide scaffolding for the students during this task. As the teacher, you can
provide guiding questions for the skimming, scanning, and rereading steps, as in the examples
below. These questions should be adapted, depending on the genre of the writing task and the
learning context. Students do not need to respond to all of these questions, and of course
other questions are possible.
Is the main idea of the essay clear? Why do you think so? If not, how would you change it?
Is the main idea of each paragraph clear?
Why do you (not) think so?
Do the topic sentences of the body paragraphs introduce the rain points of the paragraphs? If
not, what could the writer do to improve them?
Is the main idea of each paragraph supported by sufficient supporting details? If not, what
would you recommend to the writer?
Are the details related to the main point?
What is the proof? If not, what would you suggest that the writer change?
Does the essay follow the conventions of the assigned genre (informative, argumentative,
prospectus, and so on)? How do you know that?
Provide examples.
How does the writer make transitions between ideas? Do you think those transitions are
effective? If not, what would you suggest the writer change?
Does the writer discuss interesting, challenging ideas? How does he or she do that?
Providing a sample peer-feedback letter can help students understand its structure.
However, some students may take the example too seriously and try to replicate its exact
structure. To prevent this problem, the teacher should clarify the purpose of the sample.
Figure 1 shows a sample letter that I introduced in my classes.
As a freshman-composition instructor, I implemented this activity with adult learners of English
as a second language and received positive comments from the students, but the activity can
also be implemented in diverse contexts with various learner groups. You can modify the
language of the task, the questions, and the sample letter based on the proficiency level and
the needs of the students and on the expectations of the writing task. One reason this activity
worked well in my classes is that students realized that peer feedback does not equal error
correction. Writing a letter personalized the feedback and added a meaningful communicative
writing task to the peer-review process.
Özge Yol is a former composition instructor and
ESL/EFL teacher. She is currently a doctoral candidate in the Educational Theory and Practice
program at Binghamton University.
Dear Asma,
enjoyed reading your essay about environmental pollution. I think your hook 1s captivating.
You also ended your essay with an interesting anecdote. Not only did you remind us of the
main points, but you gave the reader a final, related idea to think about.
In addition, I really liked that you varied your use of words and phrases to express the key
points. Your language was clear and to the point.
would like to make suggestions on how to improve your essay for the final draft.
First, think that you should be careful not to make this expository essay sound like an
argumentative essay. In this genre, you are expected to explain only the facts, and you should
not argue your opinion. Your reader needs to be informed, not persuaded. At some points, you
revealed your viewpoint on the issue. For example, in paragraph 3, you say that the
environmental law is "a strange, silly rule." However, you should avoid using words that show
emotion and opinion. Another point to work on is repetition. I found that body paragraph 1
contained at least three sentences telling the impact of using plastic bottles.
If you have a different point to make, you should use different language or provide other
examples so that your readers notice the difference. Lastly, in the second body paragraph, you
should elaborate on the main idea, as that paragraph ends abruptly. One way to do this could
be by providing more examples of the areas where water pollution is high.
This is my feedback on your paper. Thank you for sharing it with me. If you have any questions,
please feel free to contact me. My email address is
Best,
