Week 2
Weblogs enhancing EFL students’ English language learning
Usa Noytima
Nakhon Pathom Rajabhat University, Nakhon Pathom 73000, Thailand
Received October 9, 2009; revised December 18, 2009; accepted January 6, 2010
Usa Noytima
Nakhon Pathom Rajabhat University, Nakhon Pathom 73000, Thailand
Received October 9, 2009; revised December 18, 2009; accepted January 6, 2010
This research
investigated the potential value of Weblog use on English language learning in
the context of a university in Thailand. It examined students’ perceptions of
and attitudes towards using Weblogs. A content analysis was used to analyse the
data that derived from short questionnaires, interview questionnaires and
student Blogs. The findings indicated that the students perceived Weblog as a
tool for the development of their English, in terms of writing, reading,
vocabulary, and recording their learning experience. The students also viewed
Weblog as giving an opportunity and freedom for self-expression in English,
writing for both a local and global audience, fostering creative, analytical
and critical thinking skills, creating social interaction and good
relationships between writer and reader, and supporting the learning community.
Overall then, in spite of some minor limitations, they 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 and learning strategies, including critical thinking.
🎈 What is the purpose of this study ?🎈
This research aimed to address the
limitations of lack of a genuine learning environment, especially the
limitation of conventional writing in which the audience of students’ written
work is limited to the teacher and possibly to classmates. It investigated the
extent of students’ knowledge and experience of Weblog use, their perceptions of
and attitudes towards using Weblogs. The study addressed these research questions:
🎇 1.
What is the extent of students’ knowledge and experience of Weblogs?
🎇 2.
What are students’ perceptions of use of Weblogs?
🎇 3.
What are students’ attitudes towards use of Weblogs?
🎈Where is the setting of this research ?
This research has a setting in the
Faculty of Humanities and Social Science, Nakhon Pathom Rajabhat University.
Who are the participants of this study ?
The participants of this research were twenty
undergraduate English major female students in the Faculty of Humanities and
Social Sciences, Nakhon Pathom Rajabhat University. Their ages ranged from 22
to 24 years and they were in the fifth-year of their studies. These students
undertook eight semesters of coursework and two semesters (second semester in
the 4th year and first semester in the 5th year) of teaching practicum in
secondary schools. After their teaching practicum, they returned to the
university to undertake the coursework in the final semester. These students
were preparing to become English teachers at a secondary level.
🎈What is the tool of this study ?🎈
📌 Short questionnaires
Short questionnaires which aimed to elicit students’
profile, experience of Internet and Weblog use, and perceptions of advantages
and disadvantages of Weblogs were administered to the students prior to the
requirement of Blogging
💬 Interview questionnaires
Individual students were asked to publish ten Blogs
at their leisure during the semester. In their first Blog entry, the students
reflected on their previous school teaching experiences. Then, they circulated
their Blog websites or URLs to the instructor and their classmates via e-mail.
After reading and discussing academic texts, the students were asked to publish
their thoughts and ideas about the texts they had read in seven Blog entries.
Student Blogs and comments were read and counted.
They were not graded because the main emphasis was placed on students’ fluency
rather than the accuracy of their work. Thus, students’ reflections , opinions, and expression were observed
🎈What is the finding of the research?
🎉 Extent of Knowledge and Experiences with
Weblogs
Many students commented that they gained extensive
knowledge and experiences from Weblog use. For example, they had opportunities
to create and decorate their Blogs, create and share their profiles, express
their ideas, record their memories and experiences, and exchange ideas and
opinions.
🎉 Potential values of Weblogs
Students perceived advantages of Weblog use as
follows. First, they viewed Weblogs as a medium of selfexpression online and a
tool to enhance English language development. Weblogs offered opportunities for
writing and reading practice and communicating with other people. Some students
claimed that by using Weblogs, they could write more freely. All students
claimed that Weblogs enhanced their writing and reading skills, and vocabulary
development. Weblogs increased motivation for and confidence in writing and
learning English.
🎉 Student reactions to Weblog use
Overall, students were positive about Weblog use and
the course. Without exception, students stated that they liked Weblogs because
they believed that they aided them in learning English – developing writing and
reading skills.
🎉 The Blogs
By considering comments to students’ Blog entries, it
can be observed that in some Blog entries, the students not only expressed
their opinions, ideas but also gave some suggestions and advice
🎈What is the discussion
and Conclusion ?🎈
In conclusion, Weblogs
can provide an exciting and motivating learning environment where students have
a sense of ownership and readership. They can be used to enhance student
analytical and critical thinking skills, create social interactions between
students and the instructor, students and their peers, and students and a global
audience. If used in English classes, the issues of students’ free choices of
topics for Blogging, plagiarism, and neglect of teacher correction and feedback
should be taken into consideration. However, in this study, the focus of Blog
writing was on encouraging student self-expression in English, that is, the
focus is on meaning and fluency rather than form or accuracy. Blogs are
recommended to foster students’ English language development in a genuine
learning environment.
📌 References 📌
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042810001990
