Can Blogs Facilitate Students‘ Writing? Revisiting the Use of Blogs in EFL Writing Instruction (original) (raw)
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Enhancing writing skills through blogs in an EFL class
The EuroCALL Review, 2012
Today Web 2.0 technologies, including blogs, are presenting both teachers and learners with new horizons in the field of language teaching and learning. A blog is an online journal which can be continuously updated by its users (Matheson, 2004). People can write their views at their own pace without space and time constraints. Blogs aid in the development of interpretive and critical thinking skills. The present study explores how a blog as a computermediated tool engages a group of EFL learners, at a language school in Spain, in reflective and collaborative learning, and argues that personal blogs can motivate students to build on their writing skills through self-reflection and peer feedback. The students had become more careful with planning their task and error correction before submitting their work. Collaborative skills were also fostered through students’ regular interaction on the blogs.
EFL Students' Perspectives on the Use of Blog towards Their Writing Performance
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Obtaining English Foreign Language (EFL) students’ views dealing with their preferences of blog to assist their writing skills in practice is needed in order to make them more helpful in writing practice. This research aims at finding out significant correlation between students’ perspective on the use blog in writing activity and their writing performance. It is correlational study that correlates two variables: blog use and writing performance. The result of this research shows that there is no significant correlation between the students’ perception on blog use in writing activities with their writing performances. Although the students have high and positive perception toward blog use in writing actives done by the teacher in the class, it does not give high response to the students’ writing performance. It happens because some extraneous and possible factors may influence the result of this research. Finally, this research is expected to contribute towards enriching teaching ap...
International Journal of Latest Research in Humanities and Social Science (IJLRHSS). , 2023
Weblogging, or blogging online, has always intrigued academicians because of its interest and excitement created on young students. Yet, only a few qualitative studies have been conducted on the effect of blogging onEnglish as a Foreign Language (EFL) students' English writing. This study is one of those that can provide some light on the impact of blogging on EFL students' English writing. This experiment used EFL students from Buqata Junior High School in Golan Heights. Based on the teacher's prompts, the participants were asked to write in English on a blogging website, Blogger.com. The first prompt writing experience produced many grammar, vocabulary, spelling, and syntax mistakes. The teachers found improvement in the subsequent prompt writing experience. The teachers were interviewed at the end of the experiment, and they provided valuable insights into the effect of blogging on the EFL students' English writing. The students showed interest and excitement in blogging, which motivated them to write in English. This study found that blogging on a blogging website, blogger.com, allowed and motivated EFL students to improve their English writing.
EFL Students' Experiences with Blog-Integrated Writing Instruction
pixel-online.org
With the advent of the Internet, various tools (e.g. wikis, discussion forums, blogs) have been redefining the way we teach writing. Among internet based applications, blogging especially attracts attention with its user-friendly and open-to-anyone nature, hyperlinked post structure and options for comment and reply that foster interaction. As it is directly related to writing, blogging has currently been regarded as a natural tool for writing instruction. . Describing a blog-integrated writing course, this paper presents the results of a study on students' perceptions towards blog use as a means of writing. 27 intermediate level university students were instructed according to the principles of process approach and they were required to carry on stages of writing process (drafting, revising etc ...) through blog software. The study lasted for 16 weeks and at the end of the course, the students were given a Post Instruction Perception Questionnaire divided into four categories: student perceptions towards effect of a) blog use on overall writing performance; b) blog use on the components of writing; c) blog use on the feedback and revision; d) effect of blogging on interest, motivation and technology use. The results showed that the students had a positive perception of blog use in their writing course and they believed that carrying on the writing activities through blog software especially contributed to the improvement of the content and organization of their writings.
Journal of Language and Literature, 2011
Weblog -personal online, web-based publications -are being extensively used on the Internet of late, and research tapping in their significance and effectiveness is growing by leaps and bounds. This study examined the use of a blog in an intermediate level EFL college writing class and its effect upon students as well as its effect on developing positive attitudes towards writing compared with oral presentation traditions of writing instruction. The researcher employed a triangulated research approach, involving an experimental research method and a descriptive research design to examine these effects of blogging on writing proficiency and attitudes. Fourth-year students of the English Department (n = 25 for the experimental group, and 25 for the control group), College of Languages and Translation, King Khalid University in Abha, enrolled in the English 217 (Writing IV) class during the Second Semester 2010 and their instructor comprised subjects for this investigation. The findings indicated that the students perceived Weblog as a tool for the development of their English, in terms of their writing proficiency and attitudes towards writing. The students also viewed Weblog as giving an opportunity and freedom for self-expression in English, writing for both a local and global audience, creating active, interactive social exchanges in blogs, and maintaining an interactive relationship with a real time readership. Overall, students have had positive attitudes towards Weblog use. These findings suggest that Weblogs can provide learning motivation and opportunities for authorship and readership, as well as the development of writing skills in college writing syllabi.
The advantages and challenges of using blog in EFL writing class
With the advent of Internet, and its applications to teaching and learning, many students use it to practice their writing skills in chatting and emailing. This research addressed the application of the latest innovation of Information Communication Technology, blog, to enhance the development of EFL writing skill. A weblog, or blog, is a personal site that permits publishing online. Although blog wasn’t initially provided for pedagogical purposes, it has a potential to be used as a tool in EFL/ ESL classes, especially in writing classes. With this regard in this research I tried to specify the advantages and challenges of using blog in EFL writing classes based on the teachers and students views. The teachers who participate in this research are EFL teachers who use blog in their classes for more than 2 years. I used edublog, teacher 0.2, classroom 0.2 and EFL 0.2 for this research in order to find EFL teachers. I also through questionnaires investigated students’ attitudes and perspectives about using blog. The students use blog for one semester in order to mention their views about their classes. The result of questionnaire showed that Iranian students do not find blog as a useful tool for the development of their writing skill. On the other hand teacher who use blog in their class consider it as a useful tool if it used appropriately. Finally I provide some suggestions for further researches.
Rethinking Social Media: A Review of Blog Usage in ESL Writing Classes
Methods of teaching and learning have changed in the 21 st century as the use of social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and Blog to support pedagogical processes is becoming popular though many teachers are still unaware and reluctant towards it. To English as a Second Language Teachers (ESLT), blog is seen as a tool that promotes students' English writing process. In spite of this development, students with English as a Second Language (ESL) still find it difficult to write constructively despite numerous techniques being put in place. Lack of confidence, frustration and persistent errors of English grammar in their assignments, tests, and exam scripts are always a subject of discussions. The aim of this paper is to review the concept, history, and types of blogs. Besides, the paper seeks to look at the techniques of blog usage in ESL writing classes. The purpose is to enlighten the L2 teachers and students about the benefit of blog as an instructional material and a tool for practicing writing. Review of the empirical studies reveals that blog facilitates effective teacher-students communication, individual and collaborative writing skills and autonomy. Furthermore, students with English writing deficiency see themselves as prospective writers and editors as well. Blogs' comments from teachers and peers motivate them to write constructively. Many students are happy with the introduction of blog and welcome online critical comments though some are not. Challenges and suggestions for effective usage of blogs are made.
Computer Assisted Language Learning, 2011
Today Web 2.0 technologies, including blogs, are presenting both teachers and learners with new horizons in the field of language teaching and learning. A blog is an online journal which can be continuously updated by its users [Matheson, D. (2004). Weblogs and the epistemology of the news: Some trends in online journalism. New Media & Society, 6, 443–468.]. Blogs are easy to construct without the need of understanding HTML, and their appearance and content can be enhanced through the use of pictures, audio and video files. Due to their asynchronous nature, blogs allow people to write and publish their thoughts and views at their own pace without space and time constraints. In language learning, the use of blogs is considered to be similar to that of journal writing [McLeod, 2001; as cited in Lowe, C. (2004). Moving to the public: Weblogs in the writing classroom. Into the Blogosphere. Retrieved April 16, 2009, from http://Blog.lib.umn.edu//blogosphere/moving\_to\_public\_pf.html\]. Hence, students use the basis of their worldviews to shape and interpret their own meanings in writing. Using task-based activities to encourage students’ interaction, the present study explores how a blog as a computer-mediated tool engages a group of English as a Foreign Language learners at a language school in Spain in reflective and collaborative learning. Eleven students who were preparing for the Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) Cambridge examination were involved in a study that lasted for five months. All the participants created their personal blogs so that they could read each other's views, share ideas and comment on their peers’ postings. The activities focused on the specific writing tasks (letter writing, report, proposal, article, etc.) comprised in the aforementioned examination. Consequently, the project aimed to (1) enhance writing skills in specific writing tasks, (2) perceive the effect of the learners’ feedback and (3) foster collaborative skills. Drawing on the triangulated data collated from the blog entries, class discussions based on peers’ feedback and questionnaires, this paper argues that personal blogs can motivate students to build their writing skills through self-reflection and peer feedback. The engagement in negotiation of meaning between peers led to better planning and the choice of the right register/style required in each task prior to writing and submitting their work. Collaborative skills were also fostered through students’ regular interaction in the blogs. For meaningful learning to take place, pedagogical intervention could encourage students to take their peers’ comments into account so that they can edit their own work with a view to enhancing their writing tasks and producing mistake-free texts.