Blog-based peer response for EFL writing: A case study in Vietnam
Keywords:
Blog-based peer response, Computer mediated, peer responseAbstract
Electronic peer response or E-peer response has recently been introduced to help L2 student writers improve their writing. However, few studies have been conducted to see how thenew medium of the blog platform in the world of the Internet users (bloggers) today can be applied effectively in a real EFL context. Twelve 2ndyear English major students taking a 15-week academic writing course at a Vietnamese university in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, participated in this study. The students used blogsto post their essays, were trained in a 6-step procedure of peer response; then they provided and received comments two times from their peers on the first and the second drafts for revisions. The data were collectedduring5 weeks oncause/effect essays including drafts 1 –3, students‟ comments,semi-structured interviews, and learning journals. The quantitative analysis showed thatthe 4 most common types of comments generated via the blog-based peer response were“clarification”, “suggestion/ advice”, “explanation”, and “alteration”.The study also found that the comments did affect the students writing quality based on both the qualitative and quantitative analyses. Finally, most students expressedpositive attitudes toward using blog-based peer response in the writing classroom.The study highlights a relatively new form of technology that can be used to help EFL students become better writers.
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