Beyond the monorail perspective: constructing a dual-role engagement framework in peer feedback for second language oral communication

This paper aims to examine and transcend the "single-track" analytical paradigm of peer feedback research in the field of second language acquisition (SLA), and construct a novel "Conceptual framework of dual-role engagement." Traditionally, learner engagement research has primarily focused on learners' cognitive, behavioral, and emotional responses as feedback recipients. Derived from research on teacher feedback and automated assessment systems, this perspective fails to fully capture the dual role of learners as both feedback providers and recipients/processors in peer feedback activities, as well as the interactive nature of their roles. This study pays particular attention to the context of second language oral communication, precisely because oral feedback is highly immediate, interactive, and can most vividly reflect learners' dynamic engagement process in switching between dual roles. This paper first outlines the paradigm shift in feedback concepts from one-way transmission to dialogue and negotiation, as well as the core characteristics of peer feedback as a social and collaborative language practice. Subsequently, it systematically reviews the development trajectory of learner engagement theory and its application and limitations in SLA feedback research, pointing out the theoretical gaps when directly applying the classic three-dimensional (cognitive, behavioral, emotional) model to peer feedback contexts. Based on this, this study proposes a "dual-role engagement framework" specifically tailored for SLA oral peer feedback, supported by sociocultural theory and cooperative learning theory. This framework examines learners' engagement simultaneously on two interrelated tracks: "providing feedback" and "processing feedback," elaborating on the specific connotations, observational indicators, and interactive mechanisms of learners' cognitive, behavioral, and affective engagement when playing different roles. This study serves as a conceptual proposal. It represents a refined development of learner engagement theory. It also provides new conceptual tools to advance peer feedback research. Specifically, these tools facilitate a shift from a "result-oriented" to a "process-oriented" approach, and from viewing feedback as one-way transmission to understanding it as dialogue construction. Future research can commence from four aspects: the development of measurement tools, the verification of dynamic mechanisms, the exploration of influencing factors, and the testing of practical applications, to empirically consolidate and refine the theoretical framework.