Weblogs enhancing EFL students’ English language learning
Abstract
This study investigated the potential value of Weblog use on English language learning in the context of a university in Thailand. 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. And they had positive attitudes towards Weblog use.
Introduction
🔺 Weblogs have been asserted to have potential values in English language education for several reasons.
🔺 Weblogs provide opportunities for real communication in an authentic learning environment.
🔺 Weblogs also offer an online alternative to learning logs.
🔺 Weblogs enhance student analytical and critical thinking skills. Blogging enables the creation of social networks and learning communities.
🔺 Weblogs offer real communication in which writing and reading take place in an authentic environment and there is a real audience.
🔺 Weblogs provide a genuine learning context for EFL learners.
💬 The study addressed these research questions:
1. What is the extent of students’ knowledge and experience of Weblogs?
2. What are students’ perceptions of the use of Weblogs?
3. What are students’ attitudes towards the use of Weblogs?
Findings
Extent of Knowledge and Experiences with Weblogs
👉 Many students commented that they gained extensive knowledge and experiences from Weblog use.
👉 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
👉 They viewed Weblogs as a medium of self-expression 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.
👉 Many students noted that writing their own Blogs and reading and adding comments to their classmates’ Blogs created social interaction, built good relationships and the learning community.
Student reactions to Weblog use
👉 Students were positive about Weblog use and the course.
👉 Many students liked their free choice of topics in writing Weblogs.
👉 Students reported some minor limitations of Weblog use such as Internet access, digital divide, technological skills, limited English language competence and a physical-related problem (sore eyes when reading online).
Discussion and Conclusion
🔺 The results of the study indicate that the online nature and user-friendly characteristics of Weblogs encourage students’ self-expression in English. Weblogs are a powerful tool for English language learning particularly reading and writing skills.
🔺 The students like the comment facility and value exchanging ideas and opinions as fostering their analytical and critical thinking skills.
🔺 The Blogging process is interactive – the author directly interacts and exchanges information, ideas, and opinions with the readers.
🔺 Creating and publishing Blogs also promote students’ creative thinking.
🔺 The findings of this study confirm the assertion that Blogging promotes learner autonomy, through a learner-centered approach which encourages students to read and write for communicative purposes.
🔺 Weblog use in enhancing their EFL student writing skills.
🔺 Weblogs can provide an exciting and motivating learning environment where students have a sense of ownership and readership.
