Alternative Sources of Feedback and Second Language Writing Development in University Content Courses - An Eight-Month Longitudinal Ethnographic Case Study

Oct 15, 2026

Despite instructors’ belief that feedback scaffolds second-language (L2) writing processes, uncertainty remains about the most suitable ways to deliver feedback and its effects on literacy development. This paper reports an eight-month longitudinal ethnographic case study of five Japanese undergraduate students in Canadian university content courses. It confirms the value of instructor feedback while foregrounding learners’ perceived need for alternative feedback sources such as peers and writing-centre tutors, emphasizing the impact of “invisible partners” and bridges to more formal instruction.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages26

Reading Time1 h 6 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Feedback and L2 writing development

Rethinking writing instruction for L2 students

Alternative sources of feedback and “invisible partners"

Alternative Sources of Feedback and Second Language Writing Development in University Content Courses Jérémie Séror University of Ottawa Abstract Despite a strong intuitive sense held by instructors that feedback practices can help scaffold L2 writers’composition processes, a number of questions remain concerning the manner best suited to deliver this feedback and its ultimate impact on literacy development. This paper presents findings from an eight-month longitudinal ethnographic case study of five international Japanese undergraduate students and their efforts to navigate the writing requirements of their content courses at a large Canadian university. While confirming the importance of instructor-based feedback practices and their potential as valuable language learning experiences, findings from this study also highlight language learners’perceived importance of “alternative sources of feedback” for their L2 writing development. Friends, roommates, and writing centre tutors amongst others, were seen as valuable sources of advice on writing that could compensate for perceived problems with content instructors’ feedback, while offering feedback opportunities which were more closely associated to students’ ideal representation of this pedagogic tool. Implications focus on the advantages of widening our focus when understanding feedback practices to also include paying closer attention to the impact of the “invisible partners,”which also help shape students' literacy development and the bridges that might be built between these and more formal modes of instruction. Résume Si les instructeurs sont intuitivement persuadés que le feedback peut aider audéveloppement d’habiletés d’écriture en L2, un certain nombre de questions demeure quant à la meilleure façon de fournir ce feedback, et à son ultime effet sur le développement dela littératie . Le présent article présente les résultats d'une étude de cas longitudinale et ethnographique de huit mois auprès de cinq étudiants internationaux japonais inscrits dans des programmes de premier cycle d’une grande université canadienne s’efforçant de satisfaire aux exigences de leurs cours de contenu . Tout en conﬁrmant l'importance du feedback de l’instructeur et son potentiel en tant qu’expérience utile d'apprentissage langagier, les résultats de cette étude mettent également en évidence l'importance perçue par les apprenants d’ « autres sources possibles de feedback » pour le développement deleurs aptitudes d’écriture en L2 . Les amis, les colocataires et les tuteurs du centre d’aide à la rédaction, entre autres, se sont posés comme des sources précieuses de conseils sur l’écriture susceptibles de compenser les problèmes perçus de feedback fourni par les instructeurs de contenu, tout en offrant des possibilités de feedback plus étroitementassociées à la représentation idéale que se font les étudiants de cet instrument pédagogique. The Canadian Journal of Applied Linguistics: 14, 1 (2011): 118-143 CJAL * RCLA Séror 119 L’étude souligne l’importance d’élargir notre champ de compréhension vis-à-vis des formes de feedback, et de prêter particulièrement attention à l’impact des « partenaires invisibles », ce qui permet également de façonner le développement de la littératie des étudiants et la construction de ponts entre ces modes d’instruction et d’autres plus formels The Canadian Journal of Applied Linguistics: 14, 1 (2011): 118-143 CJAL * RCLA Séror 120 Alternative Sources of Feedback and Second Language Writing Development in University Content Courses Introduction There has been a long-standing interest in the impact of feedback on second language (L2) writing development (Ferris, 2003; Goldstein, 2005; Hyland & Hyland, 2006a) . Indeed, the practice of providing students with commentary and advice on written assignments is widely used in a range of educational settings to scaffold composition processes and students' understanding of the linguistic and rhetoric

FAQs

What does the study examine regarding feedback and L2 writing development?

It examines how feedback can support L2 writers’ composition processes and literacy development, focusing on the best manner to deliver feedback and its ultimate impact.

What research design and participants are used in the paper?

The paper presents an eight-month longitudinal ethnographic case study involving five international Japanese undergraduate students in university content courses.

Which feedback sources do learners perceive as especially valuable?

Learners view friends, roommates, and writing-centre tutors as valuable alternative sources of advice that can compensate for perceived problems with content instructors’ feedback.

Oct 15, 2026

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