CALL TASK 2

TSL641: COMPUTER ASSISTED LANGUAGE LEARNING (CALL)

TASK 2: ARTICLE REVIEW

VOICE BLOG: AN EXPLANATORY STUDY OF LANGUAGE LEARNING

LANGUAGE LEARNING AND TECHNOLOGY, JUNE 2009, VOLUME 13, NUMBER 2, pp 88-103

YU-CHIH SUN

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this article review, conducted for my Computer Assisted Language Learning Class, is to analyse and summarise a journal on language learning based on the practice of blogging. As such, an online article on the subject was used as the primary source of information for this article review. Blogging is a popular past time amongst internet users and a widely used method of spreading information regarding popular subjects or personal details. It’s a method of expression and two-way information via the way of comments. This article review will present whether or not blogging is useful in the ways of language learning.

SUMMARY OF THE ARTICLE

The article I have chosen (Voice Blog: An Explanatory Study of Language Learning) is a research article that studies language learners’ speaking skills with the purpose of studying and reporting onto the integration of class blogs into L2 speaking courses and to examine the effect of participants’ learning strategies and learning strategies as well as the participants’ perception of the learning experience afforded by blogs. The study itself aims to provide a theoretical and pedagogical foundation based on the idea that the constant practice of blogs can become an important part of instruction, and that blogs allow students to structure their thoughts, ideas, and to make them publicly available on the internet/world wide web. Data for the study is collected via a set of surveys conducted on students regarding their attitudes towards the blogging process and through the conduction of retrospective interviews with the students (the subjects). The subjects for the study are 46 Taiwan college students in 2 oral communication classes with 24 and 22 students respectively. 15 of the students were females while 31 were males. Their average age altogether was 20.67 years old. They were made up of 1 freshman, 14 sophomores, 8 juniors, 22 seniors and 1 graduate student. These students had spent a total of 9 years studying English and most have never studied abroad where English is the dominant language. They also majored in a variety of technical disciplines. To put it simply, these students have little exposure to English. Over the course of the semester, which lasted a total of 18 weeks, the selected participants have uploaded a total amount of 1,239 blog-entries, and left 646 comments on their classmates’ entries. On average 27 blog entries and 14 comments were uploaded by each student for the entire semester.

MY REVIEW

The research interested me quite well since it revolves around a popular media thread on the internet known as blogging. Blogging is basically writing journals and having them viewed publicly while allowing said public to leave comment. This sort of practice in the use of English may allow students to perfect their written language skills, but only their written skills despite how it allows them to collect, organize and generate their thoughts. The research, in my own honest opinion, was quite well conducted based on the results of the study despite the limited time being used. If I had conducted said research, I would’ve conducted it better and specify areas which needed to be improved. Of course, I do believe that blogging can be used in the ESL classroom when it comes to learning English, but only in the big city areas and not the rural areas, simply because students in the rural areas don’t have much experience with computers or simple show disinterest in the subject.

CONCLUSION

Blogging presents a creative and interesting way in learning and practicing English. It also serves to be comforting to students who are private people and not the ‘in your face’ sort of people. Only time will tell, I suppose.