Weblogs for Use with ESL Classes

Campbell , A (2003). Weblogs for Use with ESL Classes. TESL, VL IX, Retrieved04/05/2009, from http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Campbell-Weblogs.html
The author specified three ways to use blogs in TSL classrooms as a purpose of the paper. He defined the weblog as an online journal that an individual can update with his or her own words, ideas and thoughts through software that enable one to easily do so. The author also gave an idea of the history of blogs that it has been existed since the beginning of the World Wide Web, the blogging software appeared in July1999 and because it’s easy to be established, the number of users grew up tremendously. The author specified three types of weblogs for use in ESL classrooms, the tutor blog that is run by the tutor for the purpose of giving daily practice to the learners considering that the teacher knows better about his students who may feel uncomfortable about the assigned materials, to promote explanation of English websites to encourage further explanation, encourage online verbal exchange by use of comment buttons and provide class or syllabus information like homework, discuss topics and provide tasks, also blogs serve as resource of links for self-study. Another kind of blogs is the learner’s blogs they are run by the students or collaborative groups who can direct each other to the suitable links that help in the study of target language so they can use blogs as a journal for writing practice. In the class blog, the author thinks that it’s possible the blog in posting subjects for speaking, develop researches and exchange subjects with other students. Also the author mentioned a lot of web logs soft wares for those who are looking for them. As a teacher of foreign language, I can use the same principles that are used in ESL because I am teaching Arabic as a second language. I can encourage my students to use the blogs to communicate with their teachers and each others. Students will be able to chose the materials they like and it will be easy to follow up their tasks and give them feedback, this is a good way of reinforcing the learning process