It is also important for students to evaluate their performance, and to gain a better understanding of their strengths and weaknesses. To this end, Sherman (1994) suggests six self-evaluation criteria that can be used by students once a piece of writing is finished:

Students may be asked to consider their own writing in the light of the above categories, and it is useful to allocate time for students to do so in class, with the tutor circulating and monitoring as appropriate.

One relatively adventurous viewpoint advanced by Sherman (1994: 69) is that the last category, that of 'Interest of content', is the most important of the six. 'In the end', she argues, 'interest is all that matters and all other aspects of writing are only there to serve it.' Interest means both being personally interested in what is being said and being able to communicate this interest to the reader. This comment needs to be set carefully against the realities of many FL teaching situations. In HE, accuracy and appropriateness are always likely to impinge on interest and content in some measure, especially where a piece of writing is assessed. Thus, your role is to encourage, as far as possible, a focus on content and the genuine interest of the piece.

In self-evaluation, Sherman (1994) advocates a middle ground between being excessively vain and excessively humble. She also advocates an appraisal process, whereby students evaluate their own performance in the above areas, and then meet with the tutor, who decides whether he or she agrees with the self-evaluation. A joint plan of action is then agreed between the student and the tutor. (See also Module 13, section 13.3.1 on 'Self-assessment.)