Peer-Review Stations to Promote Academic Writing Skills

Peer-review has long been used by writing teachers as a reliable and effective way to improve students' writing.It can strengthen students' critical thinking and writing as well as offer more detailed feedback throughout the writing process than an instructor's schedule may allow.In an English as a second language (ESL) context, however, many of these benefits are lost.Social or cultural pressure along with differences in language ability may prohibit students from offering productive feedback and at times even prove to be a hindrance (Leki, 1990).This paper will outline a tool to counter some of the issues many ESL writing teachers face with peer-review by introducing a practice developed for a second-year academic writing class that utilizes students' strengths.In this practice, student-reviewers focus on a particular area of academic writing in which they already show skill or interest, such as vocabulary or coherence, and review their peers' papers in "stations," focusing on these areas alone.A benefit of the practice is a boost of confidence as they hone and develop specific writing skills and are seen as "experts'' by their classmates.Additionally, authors are not required to have their writing reviewed in every area, thereby increasing the chances that the feedback they receive is beneficial, practical, and specific to their needs.