Week 5 Blogging for Language Learning Tilly Harrison University of Warwick

Overview  Autonomy  Blog Definition  Examples  Researching the positive and negative aspects of blogs  Discussion

New paradigms of learning  Autonomy  Motivation  Constructivism  Reflection  Collaborative Learning  Negotiation of Meaning  Process Writing

Settings for Autonomous Learning (Healey, 1999)

Autonomy  ‘Ability to take charge of one’s own learning’ (Holec, 1981)  teachers can: [give] ‘explicit opportunities to regain responsibility for their own learning’ (Dickinson, 1987) Control the environments they establish …to enable learners to be self-directed (Healey, 1999)  ‘a group of learners … collectively take responsibility for and control of their learning’ (Blin, 2004)

Blogs  Name from the combination of ‘web’ (Internet) and ‘log’ (diary) which became ‘weblog’ and then ‘we blog’ to give the verb and noun ‘blog’.  “A user-generated website where entries are made in journal style and displayed in reverse chronological order.” Wikipedia  “A personal diary. A daily pulpit. A collaborative space. A political soapbox. A breaking-news outlet. A collection of links. Your own private thoughts. Memos to the world.” Blogger.com  Readers of a blog can leave comments but cannot change entries.

Examples  Blogger (free)  WordPress (free)  Typepad Basic (subscription)  Blogware (via local retailers)  Movable Type (for businesses)  Warwick Blogs (institution-specific)

2006 ELTAM Research  Xu Binhe - least motivated Chinese English Language Major students - 2 weeks to blog their English language learning attempts - positive results - need for learner training  Huang Shih-min - Teacher-led Class blog in junior high school - attitudes of most motivated and least motivated - sense of belonging for all but only benefitted those already keen on English (others blogged in Chinese or not at all)

Blogging for Learning? +   High standards of expression and text organisation   Autonomous learning   Motivation to write and express oneself   Negotiation of meaning   Reflections on culture   Reflections on learning   Reflections on language learning, self correction   Where comments are supportive of learning   Where comments show signs of collaboration and community building

Blogging for Learning? -   Low standards of presentation of writing   Narrow views of culture / sexism / bias / bigotry / racism   Misunderstandings   Where comments have been negative   Where the ‘community’ is only a handful of people

Discussion  Report back with examples  Overall, is the ‘blogosphere’ a suitable environment for language learning?  Would you encourage your students to blog?  Why / Why not?  What support might they need?