這項探索研究在調查以「英語爲外國語文」(English as a foreign language; EFL)的成人學習者對曾經被廣爲稱道的寫作教學技巧的反應如何:就是英文寫作課中的同儕評論和教師回饋。在此次研究中同儕評論和教師回饋都是藉由網路傳送到學習者的「部落格」(blog)裡。作者研究檢視了7篇初稿、32次的部落格同儕評論、和8次的修訂稿(其中有一位學生寫兩次修訂稿),希望能夠發現部落格同儕評論對低階中級(low-intermediate)英語爲外國語文學習者作文修訂的影響爲何。這7位學生的教師回饋也做了分析,檢視教師回饋是否對學生作文修訂有具體的影響。最後,這7位學生的另外一篇作文,在沒有或極少量同儕評論和教師回饋情況下,也被拿來和他們自己的作文修訂相比較,看是否有實質的修訂。如所預期的一樣,當教師回饋會因爲學習者的態度和英文流利度而有一些正面和負面的修訂,絕大部份的部落格同儕評論並沒有呈現實質而有意義的語言結構修訂功能,而是呈現稱讚或祝福等語用功能。
This exploratory study investigated ELF adult learners' reactions to once highly acclaimed writing pedagogic techniques: peer review and teacher feedback in EFL composition class. Both the peer review and teacher feedback were given and transmitted via the web to learners' blog. The author examined 7 first drafts, 32 peer reviews, and 8 revised drafts (one student made two revisions), trying to find out what effects online peer review have on the revisions of low-intermediate EFL writers. Then, teacher feedback given to these seven students was also reviewed to see whether teacher feedback made tangible impacts on their revised drafts. Finally, another 7 articles written by the same group of students which received little or no peer review and teacher feedback were compared with their final drafts to see whether EFL learners can do a substantive revision without peer review and teacher feedback. As expected, while teacher feedback appeared to lead to both positive and negative revisions, depending on learners' attitude and English proficiency, a significant proportion of the peer review did not serve a linguistic function to give meaningful and constructive comments but serve a pragmatic function to give complimentary praise or blessings.