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.
