Bayview Beach Resort, Batu Ferringhi Beach, Penang, Malaysia

27-30 September 1999

Peer Reviewing: A Challenging Task For Advanced Students

Hairuzila Binti Idrus

Suzana Binti Meor Abdul Aziz

Center of Preparatory Education, MARA Institute of Technology (ITM), Shah Alam, Malaysia

Abstract

Malaysian English teachers often face a problem that the students are weak in the language and they are not interested in the subject especially writing. So, the focus has always been given to this type of students and how to build their interest in the subject and the language. But what about the advanced students? Are they always interested in the subject? No, not always. These students need something more challenging. They don't want to know about the tools of the craft of writing like grammar, punctuation, spelling, usage and handwriting, but they need to be taught the craft itself.

Peer reviewing is an activity in writing classes that is good for the advanced students. In peer reviewing, students act as interested readers for each other, sharing drafts, commenting on the organization, clarity and development of ideas of their classmates' drafts and suggesting improvements. It also introduces students to the idea that writing is a matter of making meaning that readers interpret, not simply producing text for a teacher to mark up and return. In addition, peer reviewing can also teach students to interact with and objectively evaluate their own writing.

This paper reports and discusses the findings of a survey conducted with students in the American Top Universities (ATU) Program under the PPP/ITM on the use of peer reviewing in their writing classes. The paper also discusses the benefits of peer reviewing to advanced students and touches on some of the problems encountered in this activity.

Biodata: Hairuzila Idrus is currently a lecturer in the Center of Preparatory Education, MARA Institute of Technology (ITM), Shah Alam, Malaysia. She holds a M.Sc (TESOL) from Central Connecticut State University, USA and a B.A (Linguistics) from University of Iowa, USA. She teaches Advanced Composition, Technical Writing and Fundamentals of Speech Communication under the American Degree Program. She has been teaching English at tertiary level for 10 years. She has also done some translation works. Her research and teaching interests include speech communication, writing and teaching styles.

Biodata: Suzana Meor Abdul Aziz has been a lecturer in MARA Institute of Technology, Shah Alam, Malaysia for the past 10 years. She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from North Texas State University, USA and a Masters Degree from University of North Texas. She has been teaching public speaking and writing courses as well as grammar and reading. Her academic interests include interpersonal communication and interaction and using creativity in writing.