A Study Of The Application Of Peer Feedback To English Writing Teaching In Junior High School

The development of English writing skills is the focus of English education in China. Peer feedback is a necessary component of English writing teaching. It allows students to participate in the evaluation of writing which creates an atmosphere of cooperative learning, better reflects the importance of teaching process and learner-centered teaching ideas and improves students’ consciousness. Therefore, students’ essay can get a certain improvement in language, such as in content and structure. However, the use of Peer Feedback in junior high English writing teaching is minimal.Based on Collaborative learning theory and the Zone of Proximal Development which are the theoretical frameworks of this thesis, this study tries to apply peer feedback in Grade Eight in one of the junior high school in Hangzhou. By the use of questionnaires, interviews, pre-test and post-test, this thesis aims to find out the feasibility and effectiveness of peer feedback in English writing teaching in junior high school. This study is designed to discuss the following two questions: First, the effect of peer feedback in junior high Students’ English writing. Second, the change of students’ interests in English writing after applying peer feedback.After a period of nearly three months’ empirical research, this study has the following major findings. Firstly, peer feedback is effective on inspiring junior high students’ writing. The experimental group improves their writing skills. Secondly, peer feedback not only stimulates students’ spontaneous awareness to modify their composition, but also allows them to fall in love with writing ultimately, thus improves their interest of writing. Therefore the findings show that peer feedback has the feasibility and effectiveness for students in junior high schools.