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This essay aims to investigate four upper secondary school teachers’ perceptions of the use of peer review in English language teaching through a qualitative study. The theoretical framework of this essay includes both sociocultural theory and process theory of writing. The study itself consists of four semi-structured interviews with English teachers and the research questions aim to investigate these teachers’ motives for doing peer review, their practices involving peer review, and the perceived difficulties they have with using peer review in their language classrooms. The main findings show that while teachers think highly of peer review and believe it to be beneficial, peer review is still not an integrated method in three out of the four teachers’ practices. Some of the reasons for this included a perceived lack of time and opportunity to do peer review, as well as a lack of encouragement from their surroundings to use peer review in their classrooms. This study presents some teachers’ perceptions and practices of peer review and further discusses why teachers have these perceptions in relation to the essay’s theoretical background and previous research. Moreover, this study shows that peer review is highly thought of but rarely implemented in Swedish upper secondary schools and that peer review needs to be brought up more in the discussion of English writing if we want it to become an integrated part of English language teaching in Sweden.

This multi-method study explored English Language Learner (ELL) enrollment and engagement in a community college to address a dearth of research on ELL retention in this context. Quantitative analyses were performed on four fall semester transcripts of ELLs (N = 161) and on samples of ELLs and non-ELLs (n = 139) matching in age, enrollment status, and race/ethnicity. Quantitative analyses were also performed on The Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) instrument for another set of ELLs (N = 45) and matched samples of ELLs and non-ELLs (n = 34). Qualitative analyses of interviews with a third set of ELLs (N = 28) were also conducted. Results suggest that ELLs overall do well as implied by their high GPAs and engagement scores, yet most do not persist long enough to complete the ESL program or graduate. GPAs were well above the minimum for graduation (2.00) and significantly higher (p < .05) than the non-ELLs. ELLs scored higher than the nation in all five benchmarks, and significantly higher than the non-ELLs in the support for learners benchmark. However, even though the majority of ELLs expressed that they wanted an associate's degree, only 43% successfully exit the ESL program and 13% graduate from the college. The graduation rate is significantly less (p < .05) than college (23%) and nation (25%).To explain, certain groups presented higher risk. Students who began in lower levels of ESL were five times less likely to complete the ESL program (p < .05). Nontraditionally aged ELLs had lower GPAs, persisted fewer fall semesters, and graduated less than their counterparts (all significant at p < .05). Also found were risk factors to which students attribute their leaving college: lack of finances, full time work, and family obligations. Interviews revealed implicit risk factors of linguistic challenges and their ELL status at the college, both of which affected their engagement, as well as a lack of procedural knowledge for navigating US colleges that could enable their retention. Students who persist, graduate, or transfer attribute this success to seeking tutoring and investing extra effort. Implications for practice and research are given. / CITE/Language Arts