วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 1 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2557

CEN 3101 Innovation in English Teaching: TESOL Journal Summary by Kru Oat Chanukrit Thienkalaya


Article Summary:  “Writing Online: Using Blogs as an Alternative Writing Activity in Tertiary ESL Classes”

Author: Matthew M. Neponumceno
Far Eastern University – Silang

TESOL Journal, Vol. 5, pp. 92-1-5 (2011)


In the article “Writing Online: Using Blogs as an Alternative Writing Activity in Tertiary ESL Classes” Matthew Neponumceno claims that blogging could be used as an effective optional activity in a writing class.  Language learners can get motivated, gain positive attitude, and improve their writing skill through blog assignments.


The paper begins by referring to the technological advancement, the so-called “blog”.  The origin of blogs dates back to the 1990s and continues to grow dramatically as an online means for people to express their ideas and thoughts.  Without a doubt, blogs have entered into the world of education, as well, especially in writing class.  Seen as the most difficult skill, writing is also a subject students tend to avoid taking, because of its strict grammar requirements, recorded documents, various mechanics, unity and coherence, and content.


Four approaches in teaching writing are reviewed to provide key elements that language teachers should consider when selecting writing enhancement methods: Product, Process, Genre, and Process Genre approaches.  Of all the four, the product and process approaches are widely used in the EFL classroom.  The process approach emphasizes the final, grammatically corrected output, whereas the process method focuses more on the content or idea portrayed in the written product.  The genre approach applies text analysis and the identification of patterns in the formal structure of various types of writing to develop the idea within the text.  Lastly, the process genre approach is a combination of all three.  This hybrid approach uses knowledge about language, knowledge of context, the purpose of writing, and skills in using language to create the written texts.  The researchers used all four approaches in developing their blog writing program.


The study further explores the advantages and disadvantages of using blogs in the language classroom.  According to Izquierdo and Reyes (2009), there is a correlation between reading texts on blogs and developing writing skills.  Language learners can observe, analyze, and be aware of the conventions of writing, such as grammar, mechanics, unity, coherence, etc.  Moreover, the blog’s characteristics of being relevant, accessible, interactive and interesting give learners potential benefits in practicing and improving writing skills.  In addition, using blogs as a tool in teaching writing promotes positive interaction between the teacher and students.  Blogs also help writers release certain emotions, or “therapeutic intervention”, enhancing the overall affective domain of learners.  Lastly, frequent posts and comments allow learners to increase the quality and quantity of their writing outputs.  Conversely, the disadvantages mentioned in the article are the high cost of acquiring the necessary platform to use the blogs, the computer competency of learners, and the economic status of learners.


In the study, the researcher attempts to find out the effects of blogging in the development of the participants’ writing skills and the perception of using blogs before and after the study.  Thirty-six participants from sophomore colleges registered for academic writing classes.  The assignment was to post blogs on a regular basis for 12 weeks in a row.  The peers who did not participate were encouraged to read and write a comment to the bloggers.  Certain rules and guidelines were outlined for the purposes of monitoring and evaluation.


The findings indicate that participants showed interest in writing and posting blogs.  They genuinely got motivated to share their ideas and express their feelings through online writing.  A variety of subjects, ranging from personal, relationships, interests, and movie or book reviews, to general informational topics were posted.  Through the post-project survey, the participants indicated highly positive perceptions toward writing blogs.  The benefits gained during the project were making new friends, spending time wisely on the Internet, having more time to practice writing, and lowering the pressure of, and gaining more confidence in, writing.  In the realization stage, the bloggers also became aware of the importance of “netiquette” when writing for on-line publication.  However, some common problems found in the study were the inconvenient schedule, negative comments posted outside the blogging community, and other online distractions.


In sum, using blogs as an alternative way of teaching writing can be beneficial to language learners.  It offers convenience, connection, and a cool enhancement to the bloggers.  Also, students’ motivation to write increases.  Nevertheless, teachers should be aware of some minor drawbacks, such as accessibility, security, and proper project mechanics and platform when implementing online writing in the classroom.

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