الاثنين، 20 ديسمبر 2010

Why would you use blogs in foreign-language education?

    
I think Blogs are easily accessible and easy to use. In addition, they are a new technology, and as such, the   format might appeal to students, who spend much time in front of their computers .

The most important argument for using blogs in teaching might be their format: the way they are set up, they invite participation. They also have the potential to democratize the classroom; as with other forms of computer-mediated communication, each student can participate equally. Moreover, blogs can be accessed anytime and anywhere, so students can write at their own convenience and determine their own pace and level of contribution. In this way, blogs give students not only more control over their own learning, but also the ownership of a personal space.
Other arguments that speak for the use of blogs in a foreign-language course are their ability to include images, sound, and video files, so students are exposed to, and can make use of. Last but not least, maintaining a blog on a regular basis can improve writing and promote students’ self-awareness about their writing. Students are forced to condense their thoughts and to write on a regular basis, all of which can help them become better writers in the foreign language.