In a typical EFL writing class in Taiwan, it is a routine for students to wait for the teacher to assign a topic to write about and then to work individually. The teacher spends a lot of time instructing them in grammar and mechanics and then correcting the errors in their product with a red pen. Because the teacher makes decisions for the students all the time, students' own interests or specialties may be neglected severely. Within a process writing class, students are grouped to share the responsibility of learning, then learn to appreciate each other's differences and contribute their own strengths in order to meet group goals. This provides students opportunities for cross-modeling of writing skills and for immediate peer feedback in class. As students gain more experience in working collaboratively, they can grow into more proficient and caring writers. And the teacher will enjoy a class where students are becoming more aware, more insightful, and more articulate, both orally and in writing if s/he is skillful in adapting this cooperative learning strategy.
