Peer feedback among learners of English and Arabic as a foreign language in a telecollaborative language learning program

Abstract

Advancement in online collaboration between community members enables new forms of feedback in language learning settings. This exploratory study presents an analysis of peer feedback on writing tasks. Participants included learners of English and Arabic as foreign languages, at the college/university level, in two learning contexts (Saudi Arabia and the United States), throughout a 12-week telecollaborative project. Four different tasks, related to giving feedback on each other’s writing, were given to participants in the two contexts. These activities were designed to investigate the impact of this approach at enhancing foreign language learning with telecollaboration. The objective was to create a digital environment for language learners, in which cultural elements could be discussed among people from diverse backgrounds. The study applied qualitative methods, using codes and thematic analysis. The data analysis was conducted with qualitative methodology, classifying speech acts and language functions based on Leng’s framework (2014). The findings confirmed the posi tive contribution of this approach for language learning, specifically increas ing intercultural understanding. Participants, regardless of their linguistic or cultural feedback, easily maintained reciprocal communication through shared feedback. Social interaction regarding the cultural encounter culture served as an active agent for the learning process of each target language. Pedagogical implications of this research include the value of situating peer feedback within telecollaboration to help students create their own intercultural stances by negotiating linguistic, social, and cultural inputs.