1. Blogs in L2 Classroom:
Maximizing Meaning-Focused Output
Mari Yamauchi
Chiba University of Commerce
HICOE 2012, January 07, 2012, Honolulu
2. Goals
Goals of this 3-year research*
1. To build an online learning environment
where students can use English for
communicative purposes
2. To propose practicable ways to integrate
out-of-class activities with in-class
activities, esp. where there is limited access
to ICT in the classroom
*Supported by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Grant-in-Aid
for Scientific Research (2011-2013)
3. Many Japanese university students learning
EFL (esp. non-English majors) have had very
few opportunities to use English out of
class for communicative purposes.
60%
45%
30% 58% Exposed to English out of class
15% Exposed to little English out of class
21%
0%
Q: What do you think of your experience learning English?
(Multiple answers; 2010, N=24)
4. Q: How often do you use English out of class? (2011, N=92)
Reading Writing
8% 6%
11%
19%
53% Listening 20% Speaking
64%
20%
13% 6%
18%
49% 18%
57%
19%
19%
(Almost) Everyday Twice a week or more
Once a week or less (Almost) Never
5. Three functions of output (Swain, 1995)
Noticing/Triggering: Output raises learners’
awareness of gaps in their knowledge
Hypothesis-testing: Learners’ output is a test of a
learner-generated hypothesis
Metalinguistic: Learners use language to reflect
on language, allowing them to control and
internalize it
6. Although it is quite easy to be exposed to spoken or
written English, not many university students are
ready for online activities using English.
Once they get used to those activities, they can keep
using/learning English after the course.
7. It is still common to have a language class in a
regular classroom with limited access to ICT
8. Platforms considered*
Teacher’s Cellphone Organized Customi- Closed Open
Grading Multimedia
readiness compatibility activities zation community community
Moodle
Blogger
Posterous
Twitter
Facebook
Tumblr
Mixi
*As of September, 2010
9. Students may rely too much on (feature) phones
How user-friendly was Moodle for you?
(2010, N = 24)
I wish I could have used my
8% 4%
cellphone!
25%
25% It would’ve been easier with a
smartphone!
38% How about using cellphones for
such online discussions?
Very easy Easy
Don’t know Little difficult
Very difficult Websites incompatible with
cellphones are inconvenient.
10. Integrating student blogging
✦ A class blog was set
up for students to share
their English output
✦ Posting by email
was used to make it
easier to for them to
start blogging (allowing
hands-on in a regular
classroom)
11. Integrating student blogging
✦ Topics were selected from what they wanted
to say to make writing more meaning-focused
✦ Students’ posts were used in class to
facilitate noticing and give feedback to the
“hypotheses”
✦ Pair/Group work was related to their
previous/next posts to facilitate noticing and
hypothesis-testing through peer interaction
13. Topics (& language objectives) cf. CEFR
A1 A2 B1
• familiar • frequently used • familiarmatters
everyday expressions regularly encountered
phrases • in work, school, leisure
very basic personal
• very basic & family information, • situations likely to
phrases shopping, local arise while traveling
• needs of a
geography • simple connected text
concrete • simple/direct on topics familiar or of
type exchange of personal interest
• questions
information on
• experiences, events,
about familiar/routine
matters dreams, hopes,
personal ambitions, reasons,
details • his/her background, explanations for
immediate opinions, plans
environment/need
14. Blog Posts In-class activity
Blog post
A: What were you doing at 7 PM
yesterday? Grammar
B: I (am, was) eating dinner. Exercise
A: What (do, did) you eat? (Worksheet)
B: I (have, had) pizza and fried
noodle.
16. Findings & Issues
Increased accessibility and activity design
helped increase participation in online activities
Students found productive use of English and
sharing their output beneficial (though
challenging)
They were satisfied with how “feedback” on
their output was given in class
They wanted feedback on language error
They wanted to edit their posts
19. 2. They found blogging beneficial & challenging
Do you think blogging in English What do you think of blogging in English?
will help you improve your
English? (N=27) 65.5
(%)
44.8
10% 41.4
34.5
7% 27.6 27.6
83% I enjoyed reading others’ posts
I enjoyed writing my opinions/ideas in English
I found myself using English more often
Yes It was difficult to write in English
No It was difficult to read in English
Don’t know I'm now feeling more comfortable using English
20. My writing skills improved
through blogging during this
I feel I understand what it’s like to use
semester.
English in everyday life.
I’ve improved my English
I was happy that communication with my
through blogging so I want to
classmates increased through blogging.
do more next semester.
I felt uncomfortable blogging first but I
Blogging in English was enjoyed it later on as I got used to it.
challenging but fun.
It’d be great if we post whenever we
like, in addition to assigned tasks.
23. 3. Feedback on their output in class
How did you like the way your posts were used in class? (N=27)
(%)
67
23 23
10
Good to learn how to say something I wanted to say
Easier to write something related to what was covered in class
Happy to have my posts used in class
Don’t want my posts used in class
24. 4. Feedback and correction
Suggestions for better blogging activities? (N=27)
40 40 (%)
23
17
Mistakes to be corrected
Posts to be editable
More comments from teacher
Interactions to be increased
25. Feedback and correction - Issues
Teacher feedback on language error
As a comment to each post?
LMS (Moodle) might work better? (What about
giving a comment to each forum post?)
Allowing students to edit their posts
They need to have their own accounts
If they have an account, which platform is the
best?
26. iPads might help to give some hands-on
At least one iPad
per
3 students
desirable
27. To conclude ...
1. Using posting by email helps get
students started easily in a classroom
with limited access to ICT, but this way
of using a class blog has its limitations.
A better solution will be looked for.
28. To conclude ...
2. Giving students opportunities to express
what they want to express, with appropriate
feedback to their output (as “hypotheses”),
can facilitate their learning. These productive
tasks also help them realize English is a tool
for communication, not just as another
subject to study.
29. To conclude ...
3. Students’ output should be
analyzed to see if their English is
improved through these
productive activities.
30. To conclude ...
4. As they get used to sharing their writing
online, they will become more active and
communicative in the classroom.
(A positive “side” effect)
31. To conclude ...
4. As they get used to sharing their writing
online, they will become more active and
communicative in the classroom.
(A positive “side” effect)
32. To conclude ...
4. As they get used to sharing their writing
online, they will become more active and
communicative in the classroom.
(A positive “side” effect)
33. Thank you!
Mari Yamauchi
Chiba University of Commerce
HICOE 2012, January 07, 2012, Honolulu
