The Language Teacher
December 2000

Celebrating Collaboration: The Writer's Peer Support Group

Wilma Luth & Andrew Obermeier*



In this month's issue, a very special, useful service *The Writer's Peer Support Group* is described, and a warm invitation to all is extended to take advantage of this service. As always, the coeditors encourage Chapters and SIGs to submit 800-word reports to this column in English, Japanese, or a combination of both.

*Authors' note: This text is the collaborative reading and writing of Andy Barfield, Wayne Johnson, Wilma Luth, Andrew Obermeier, Jill Robbins, and Craig Sower.

Now nearing its first birthday, The Writers' Peer Support Group (PSG) has become a vibrant dimension of The Language Teacher (TLT)'s editorial process. Whereas TLT's Column Editors and Editorial Advisory Board are charged with deciding what articles will be included in each issue, the PSG serves only to help writers revise and improve their drafts prior to submission. We are a pre-publication writers' workshop and can be contacted directly by email at <peergroup@jalt-publications.org>.

Inquiries are welcome at any stage of the writing process. The PSG has been contacted by some writers with just a germ of an idea. Knowing how the PSG could assist them gave them the impetus to start writing. First contact with other writers has included receiving their complete drafts with the request for help in improving them.

Some Frequently Asked Questions

Question: What kind of support can I expect from the PSG?

Answer: We aim to help writers further their drafts by providing each writer with two empathetic reading responders who are committed to working through several drafts if the writer feels it necessary.

Question: How do I contact the PSG?

Answer: Email us at <peergroup@jalt-publications.org>.

Question: How should I send attachments to the PSG?

Answer: Send your paper as an attachment in "rtf" format.

Question: My paper is on a topic that is relatively obscure. Will the PSG be able to help me?

Answer: The research interests of PSG members cover a wide range, and we try as much as possible to match writers with readers familiar with their topic.

The Practice of Peer Support

When Andy Barfield, the PSG coordinator, receives a paper, he sends a query to the group list to see which two readers will volunteer to work with the author. The prime goal is for each author-reader-reader triad to create a dynamic discussion around the draft in progress. The readers read the draft separately, exchange comments on the content, and then prepare and send a response to the writer. The writer revises and sends the draft back to the readers. The process continues until the writer is satisfied and ready to submit the article for publication.

To a writer contributing to PSG, we act not as editors or teachers, but as peers. We do our best to develop a sense of trust between the writer and reader. Our aim is to help writers improve their drafts through a careful process of reading, responding, and revising. The following are key questions on our side: How could this be clearer? Has the writer remembered to address the intended audience? Do we need more background information?

In practice, a reader's response might look like this:

[Reader's name: I can see how this drama activity fosters risk-taking in the moment. How does it encourage taking risks at other times in class? In what way do you notice that students' pronunciation improves because of it? How often would you suggest using this activity in class? How does it help katakana pronunciation? I think that, by including answers to some of these questions in your description, you could broaden the appeal of the activity. Good luck and please let us know if you have any questions or comments!]

We believe that this kind of comment demonstrates great respect for the voice of the author. The author has been asked questions around his/her text and revisions are entirely up to the writer.

There is a fine line between being supportive and being critical. If we are too supportive, we can offer the writer very little input for a revision. If we are too critical, we will discourage. The members of the PSG are all familiar with the joys and frustrations of attempting to express ourselves clearly and succinctly in writing. We also know firsthand the benefits of having our writing responded to by a thoughtful and sensitive reader. It is these dual experiences that we will keep foremost in our minds when we respond to your draft. So, when can we expect your paper?



All materials on this site are copyright © by JALT and their respective authors.
For more information on JALT, visit the JALT National Website