Week 2 : Weblogs enhancing EFL students' English language learning written by Usa Noytim

  Weblogs enhancing EFL students' English language learning  written by Usa Noytim     

 Introduction  
     Weblog offer real communication in which writing and reading take place in an authentic environment and there is a real audience. There fore, Weblogs provide a genuine learning context for EFL learners who have limited opportunities to be expose to the target language in an authentic environment. 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 student' written work is limited to the teacher and possibly to classmates.

The Study    

The setting and the participants

     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 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.  

 method
     The research was conducted in the second semester of academic year 2008. The students were enrolled in the reading and Writing for Academic Purpose II course. This couse aimed to enable student to develop reading skills in understanding a variety of written texts including academic resources and develop think skills and skills in writing periods on different two days.

     
 The finding 
    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. 

Conclution  

     In conclusion, Weblog can provide an exciting and motivating learning environment where students have a sense of ownership and readership. They can be use to enhance student analytical and critical thinking skills, create social interactions between student and the instructor, students and their peers, and students and a global audience.