Instructors' Debate over Error Feedback on Chinese International Students' Academic Writings in a U.S. University

As the number of Chinese international students studying in the U.S. has grown dramatically in recent years, there has been increasing attention to how English Composition instructors approach these students' writings. Using a dialogue format representing "narratives of classroom life" (Nelson, 2011a), this paper demonstrates two polemic views held by teachers and researchers: one view sees students' language use as problematic as it differs from the expected standards required for academic success in the U.S., while the other calls for more tolerance of the students' linguistic and cultural diversity and accordingly, more strategic ways to give "error feedback." By opening up the debate, the paper explores possibilities for teachers in the U.S. and around the world to help their students address the gap between academic expectations, and what they are currently capable of.