In this study we adopt a mixed methods approach to examining the extent to which EFL university professors integrate relevant life skills into the L2 writing curriculum, particularly through the feedback that they normally provide learners with. The first phase of the study involved the collection of quantitative data to examine the nature of second language (L2) writing teachers’ linguistic-bound or life-responsive feedback. To this end, analysis of the number and types of feedback provided by L2 writing teachers on written compositions (N = 300) was conducted. Follow-up classroom observations (N = 8) were also carried out. The results from document analyses revealed that around 70% of all the feedbacks covered grammatical issues and mechanics of writing, while paying little, if any, direct attention to the enhancement of learners’ life skills. Besides, the follow-up qualitative phase (classroom observations) added more plausibility to the results obtained from document analyses of written feedback. There were found rare cases where the critical and creative thinking abilities of language learners were highlighted, but these were argued to be triggered in an indirect, limited, and sporadic fashion. The theoretical and practical implications of this study are discussed.

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