Word processors as monarchs: Computer-generated feedback can exercise power over and influence EAL learners' identity representations

Abstract

While the efficacy of computer-generated feedback in affecting learners' scores, errors, and writing skills has already been established, the impact of such feedback on learners' identity representations remains unexplored. The current paper explores the ways in which computer-generated feedback from Microsoft Word Office™ (MWO) and Grammarly influences English as an Additional Language (EAL) learners' identity representations while writing on a screen. To this end three participants were involved in a case study whereby they were asked to complete five writing tasks. Power relations, intertextuality and multimodality levels, and attitudes—in their technical sense—as relevant concepts were employed to explore potential factors that influence EAL writers’ identity representations. The results obtained from think-aloud sessions and interviews show that while the participants relied on computer-generated feedback to spell correctly and to make well-formed sentences, they experienced pressures, control and power from automatic feedback, which subsequently influenced their identity representations.