Journal of Literature and Art Studies 

About: Journal of Literature and Art Studies is an academic journal published by David Publishing Company. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Computer science & Linguistics. It has an ISSN identifier of 2159-5844. Over the lifetime, 853 publications have been published receiving 880 citations.

Principles of “Constructivism” in Foreign Language Teaching

Abstract: The core ideas of Constructivism were mentioned by John Dewey, so it is not a new idea. Constructivism claims that each learner constructs knowledge individually and socially. The “glue” that holds the constructs together is meaning. Knowledge is not “out there”, as the realist philosophers such as Plato claimed. Knowledge is always an interpretation of reality, not a “true” representation of it. Thus, the aims of this study are: (1) to shed the light on the schools of constructivism, and (2) to clarify the principles of the constructivist learning in general and in language teaching in particular.

The Efficacy of Peer Feedback in Turkish EFL Students’ Writing Performance

Abstract: The overarching aim of this study is to find out the effects of peer feedback on Turkish EFL learners at pre-intermediate level. More specifically, the researcher sought to probe the strategies most suitable to these students by motivating them to scrutinize each other’s writings and develop their own perceptions of the advantages of becoming more critical of their writing. By addressing these aims and objectives, the researcher hoped to discover the advantages and effects of peer feedback in improving the writing skills of these students. A mixture of both quantitative and qualitative methods was considered appropriate to meet the needs of research. A questionnaire on attitudes and writing tests were used to collect primary data for the study in order to gain information about the needs of the students and the suitable strategies required for peer reading, examining, and giving feedback. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted to examine the students’ perceptions of peer feedback. Results of this study revealed that the peer feedback process helped learners in improving their writing performance as a result of which the students had a positive attitude towards using peer feedback in EFL classrooms. Based on the findings, implications for foreign language (FL) writing classes and suggestions for future studies are presented.