Participant Perceptions of Peer Editing in an EFL Freshman English Program

This paper investigates the perceptions of students and teachers regarding the peer editing component of a Freshman English program in a national university in the Republic of Korea. The goal of this program was to promote the English performance skills needed in college and in professional careers, so a task-based, holistic approach was adopted, in which autonomy, reduction of affective barriers, learning strategies, and holistic development, featured strongly. In this context, peer editing offered a means of addressing written goals, having the potential to encourage collaboration, critical thinking, reflection, and responsibility in the writing process. This study reports on findings obtained from a student questionnaire and a subsequent teachers' focus group on the questionnaire results. Discussion of the data, which led to formative modification of the program, showed a teacher/student consensus on the benefits of peer editing, along with recommendations for a diversity of approach.