Revisiting the conceptualizations of feedback in second language writing: a metaphor analysis approach

The conceptualizations of feedback in second language (L2) writing are premised on multidisciplinary theories and perspectives from relevant fields of study, such as higher education, applied linguistics, and second language education. However, these diverse conceptualizations of feedback are taken for granted within the field of second language writing and remain unexamined. Using a metaphorical analysis of 26 articles on L2 writing feedback published in two top journals of writing (i.e. Journal of Second Language Writing and Assessing Writing) over the last three years (2019–2021), this study aims to illuminate current theoretical understandings of the nature of feedback using a metaphorical analysis. The results reveal six dominant conceptual metaphors framing feedback in influential writing journals: feedback as 1) information, 2) a prescription, 3) a teaching tool, 4) a consumer good, 5) scaffolding, and 6) a dialogue. Among the conceptual metaphors, feedback is a consumer good was the most frequently adopted as the main metaphor, while feedback is information was the least. The six metaphors represented a spectrum, with a cognitivist feedback paradigm on one end and a socio-constructivist feedback paradigm on the other, each with its own theoretical implications from the perspectives of information processing and individual and collective agency. This study calls for a more comprehensive and sharpened understanding of L2 writing feedback in research and provides the corresponding implications for writing pedagogy.