Publication Date
2016
Keywords
second language writing, writing conferences, student attitudes, conferencing approaches
Abstract
A substantial body of research has demonstrated the important role of providing feedback in students’ writing development. Among the various feedback methods, the teacher-student writing conference has often been rated by learners as the most beneficial to writing development, but research on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students’ perceptions of writing conferences is scant. Aiming to investigate students’ experiences and attitudes towards writing conferences, this study collected data through questionnaires and individual interviews with 34 EFL students from 2 college English writing classes. Findings suggested that the students held high expectations and gave high ratings on the helpfulness and success of the conferences that they experienced. Affectively, the questionnaire results indicated a generally positive experience, but the interviews revealed that attending conferences provoked anxiety in some learners. Most significantly, the study found that although students did not openly reject setting and leading the agenda, most were not enthusiastic about taking on the responsibility of establishing the direction of the conference.
Recommended Citation
Yeh, Chun-Chun
(2016)
"EFL College Students’ Experiences and Attitudes Towards Teacher-Student Writing Conferences,"
Journal of Response to Writing: Vol. 2:
Iss.
2, Article 3.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/journalrw/vol2/iss2/3