Effects of writing feedback literacies on feedback engagement and writing performance: A cross-linguistic perspective

Abstract

While the educational field has made progress in comprehending student feedback literacy, its impact on feedback engagement and student writing performance remains insufficiently explored. Furthermore, the cross-linguistic perspective has not yet been introduced to the literature on student feedback literacy, even though this approach has seen increased utilization in both L1 and L2 learning research. The current study examined the relationship between L1 and L2 writing feedback literacies and how they may contribute to L2 feedback engagement and L2 writing performance. Data were collected from 231 English major sophomore students from a Chinese university. The structural equation modeling analyses results showed that students’ L1 writing feedback literacy had a positive effect on their L2 writing feedback literacy. Further, L1 writing feedback literacy exerted an indirect effect on L2 writing performance via L2 writing feedback literacy and L2 feedback engagement. These findings underscore the pivotal role of L1 writing feedback literacy in L2 development and provide empirical evidence elucidating the close relationship between student feedback literacy and feedback engagement. The study concludes with pedagogical suggestions based on the observed outcomes.