When Reading Meets Blogging

Lee, S. Y. (2015). Joining the ‘literacy club’: when reading meets blogging. ELT Journal, 69(4), 373-382.

Background

The author saw blogging as an important contributor to improved reading.

Aims

The study examined the blog posts of readers who learned English as a Foreign Language (EFL) to find out how they understood what they had read and the processes they engaged in to help them express themselves better. It also explored the effects of blogging on learners’ reading comprehension and writing fluency after the implementation of an Extensive Reading Programme (ERP).

Sample

Twenty-five first-year Taiwanese university students majoring in English participated in the ERP.

Method

The students were given a selection of 2,000 novels from which to choose some to read. An orientation was conducted to equip them with reading strategies. The tasks they had to complete in the reading programme included: reading and posting their reading reflections on the blog site, exchanging ideas about the books they had read online, and assisting those who asked for help on the online blog.  Eight blog posts published by each of three high scorers and three low scorers were analysed. Improvements in the content and language of the posts were determined by the post lengths and the number of idea units generated. Post lengths were compared at four intervals over two semesters.  Idea units that displayed in-depth reflections and evaluations, presented suggestions and made links between the plot and reality were indicators of improved depth and reading quality. Each participant was interviewed concerning the usefulness of blogging after the reading was completed.

Findings

Results showed that most participants were motivated to read and write more after knowing that their posts would be read by their professor and peers. Findings also indicated that blogging after extensive reading benefitted high scorers significantly. Some posts demonstrated students’ deep reflexivity and the development of various reading strategies during the reading process. It was evident that critical thinking was sharpened through the online interactions.

Implications

The writer perceived blogging as a platform to provide academic support and facilitate social interaction to help students learn as a community. She thought that blogging motivated students to read more extensively so that they could post their thoughts about the books that they had read. It also promoted a reading culture and helped build a literacy club. However, the writer cautioned against regarding the number of words as a valid measure of the quality of ideas.

Original article retrieved through Google Scholar.