The Study Of Power Differentials In A Cross-border Writing Feedback Exchange Activity

The present study examined three research questions:(1)To what extent do power differentials exist in the cross-border writing feedback exchange between Chinese EFL learners and American native English-speaking students?(2)In what ways do EFL learners negotiate power differentials?(3)In what ways do power differentials affect the EFL learner’s attitudes towards cross-border writing feedback activity?This study involved 10 EFL participants and their corresponding NES counterparts who participated in a month-long cross-border writing feedback exchange activity.Focusing on ten EFL participants,this study collected and analyzed their exchange process,interviews,and reflections through discourse analysis and thematic analysis.Findings showed that power differentials were recognized in terms of cases focusing language,content,structure,and culture.Among all feedback cases,powerembodying cases on culture took the largest proportion,followed by language-focused power-embodying cases.While the proportion of structure-focused and contentfocused power-embodying cases ranked third and fourth respectively.Focusing on the EFL participants’ writing tasks,NES students’ feedback,and all follow-ups,three interactional styles were identified-obedience,balance and resistance.Under each interactional style,EFL participants tended to adopt both discursive(textual identities,modelity,concession,appreciation)and non-discursive strategies(emoticons)to negotiate power differentials.Power differentials was not the necessary element that changed EFL participants’ attitudes towards the writing feedback activity,it can be regarded as a stimulation for EFL participants to learn more from their counterparts.In addition,some students cherished and appreciated the Exchange because they not only received linguistic feedback but also they enjoyed the exchange of thoughts during the exchange process.On the other hand,power differentials amplified the technique problems,privacy,and face-saving problem to some extent thus made the activity less satisfying.The study can provide several pedagogical implications for learning and teaching English writing.At first,more personal room and electronic platform are needed to share private experience which may help to concrete their relationship and reduce the power after a more intimate conversation.Secondly,power differentials should not be regarded as the absolute obstacle in the cross-border writing feedback activity,it can be a useful stimulation for EFL learners’ language learning.The less-powered group should learn how to flexibly use discursive and non-discursive strategies to negotiate power differentials.In addition,participants from both sides should note that the usage of overgeneralized and personalized comments and the appliance of too many collective pronouns may undermine the interpersonal relationship.Lastly,it is encouraged to combine the writing feedback process in and abroad.Participants received more linguistic feedback from English teacher because they have same cultural background,but what important is the “thoughts exchange”,which could only be achieved from participants with distinct cultural background.