This study compared techniques for teaching collaborative writing to English majors in Taiwan, focusing on the effectiveness of computer-mediated (CM) vs. face-to-face (FF) peer response sessions, measured by amount of speech produced by students and the level of participation in discussion. Subjects were 17 university sophomores in a composition course, divided into four writing groups. Peer response sessions for half of the writing assignments were conducted using synchronous discussion on networked computers, and half were conducted using face-to-face interaction. Analysis of transcripts of the sessions revealed that FF sessions were far more efficient in producing speech (2.5 times greater in five-person groups). Level of student participation in the discussion of each writing issue was much lower in the CM context, and it was only infrequently that discussion of a writing issue had full-group participation. In a typical CM discussion episode, only one student spoke, with no one responding. In contrast, a typical FF discussion episode had the participation of three students. Implications for writing instruction are drawn. (MSE)