Geting new linguistic communication accomplishment such as authorship, and reading can be really hard for grownups particularly for grownups who wanted to analyze 2nd linguistic communication. This is because in order to get new linguistic communication accomplishment, one must be exposed to a batch of input and patterns. Language acquisition has ever been associated with competences, grammar, undertakings, exercisings and bore activities ( Nadzrah & A ; Kemboja, 2009 ) Scholars and research workers have come out with assorted methodological analysiss to help 2nd linguistic communication scholars to get their targeted linguistic communication and better their linguistic communication accomplishments such as authorship. Presents, with the aid from engineering a new subdivision called Computer Assisted Language Learning ( CALL ) has been established in order to happen out how to unite engineering with linguistic communication larning hence assisting the 2nd linguistic communication scholars to better their linguistic communication accomplishments. This is because a batch of old researches had convinced today ‘s research workers that linguistic communication scholars need to detect and interact with the lingual input in order to get their mark linguistic communication ( Chapelle, 2005 )
When a scholar uses computing machine and cyberspace to execute their linguistic communication undertakings and preparation, they automatically involves in CALL. Technology used in CALL is more than merely communicating tools because it involves devices such as word processor for authorship, on-line lexicons for larning vocabularies in other words engineering in CALL are devices and tools that can be used by the scholars to pull strings linguistic communication more efficaciously ( Levy & A ; Stockwell, 2006 ) Hence, all elements of computing machine mediated communicating such as weblog, on-line chatting, and all signifiers of societal networking sites like Facebook and Twitter besides fall under CALL and they all can be used by linguistic communication scholars to help them in geting linguistic communication accomplishments like authorship, reading and speech production. A peculiar involvement has been put on Weblog in order to detect its effectivity in assisting the 2nd linguistic communication scholars to better their authorship accomplishment. The term “ Weblog ” originally refers to the computing machine files generated by web waiters to log their activities. However, the term Weblog today which is pronounced as “ We blog ” refers to the on-line site incorporating different messages from the blogger ( Sauers, 2006 ) Therefore, harmonizing to Cory Doctorow ( 2002 ) the term Weblog or web log can be defined as:
A web page that contains brief, distinct hunks of information called stations. These stations are arranged in rearward – chronological order ( the most recent stations come foremost. ) Each station is unambiguously identified by an ground tackle ticket, and it is marked with a lasting nexus that can be referred to by others who wish to associate to it. ( p.1 )
In other words, a weblog is a site where the users can post or compose their Hagiographas and published them online. Once the Hagiographas have been published, they can be viewed and read by others as the weblog is marked with a lasting nexus to the site. Harmonizing to Sauers ( 2006 ) there are three types of weblogs: person, capable and organisational weblogs. The single weblog is the original type of weblog, which is run by person for their ain ground and it is commonly personal in nature. It resembles an on-line diary. The capable weblog, on the other manus is run by one or more bloggers focused on a peculiar topic of involvement like avocations, or political relations and the last type of weblog which is the organisational weblog merely represents the positions, sentiments, and events of an organisation ( Sauers, 2006 ) The content of the weblog can be from assorted subjects depending on the types of web logs.
Although weblogging is non an uncommon phenomenon, nevertheless the usage of weblogs in instruction and learning linguistic communication in Malaysia is still at the nascent phase. It is merely until late that instructors and pupil of 2nd linguistic communication started to utilize weblogs in category in order to pass on through authorship among each other and complete their written undertakings which can be viewed by others and feedback can be given. Hence, since the pupils have to pass so much clip in composing weblogs in order to pass on and finish their written undertakings, can weblogging assist them to better their authorship ability in footings of sentence construction, grammar and word picks and how does it assist them to better? Therefore, the intent of this survey is to analyze whether or non weblog is an effectual tool to assist the 2nd linguistic communication scholars to better their authorship accomplishment and how does it helps them to better in their authorship. This research hopes to accomplish its intent by showing that weblog is so an effectual tool to better authorship as it provides a convenient composing environment for the 2nd linguistic communication scholars.
Literature Review
Previous researches and surveies have shown that weblog is an effectual tool for 2nd linguistic communication scholars to better their authorship accomplishment. Harmonizing to Nadzrah and Kemboja ( 2009 ) ESL pupils benefit a batch from blogging as they were able to compose better because they realised that they have to set excess attempts in look intoing their grammar before posting their entry, which is something that they did non make when composing on documents. Abdulaziz Ibrahim Fageeh ( 2011 ) further emphasizes that weblogging helps to better the scholars ‘ eloquence in their abilities to convey and explicate their thoughts because they are more careful in their authorship as they have to pay close attending to the formal facets of composing particularly in grammar, word picks, sentence construction, paragraph construction and word spelling. Additionally, they besides have learnt to accommodate the academic authorship manner, learnt to utilize appropriate registry and vocabularies, tenses system, phrasal verbs and associating devices when they are composing in weblogs.
Furthermore, a survey by Ruby Vurdien ( 2011 ) proves that weblogging encourages the scholars to pass a figure of considerable clip to believe exhaustively when be aftering their undertaking which includes doing a careful pick of vocabulary, grammatical constructions, appropriate registry and spelling mistakes before posting their entry online because they realised that their stations will be read by a larger audience which is their friends and their coachs. This claim is maintained by Nadzrah and Kemboja ( 2009 ) who believed that the on-line nature of weblog where the authorship can be viewed and read by everyone has motivated the scholars to seek their best to compose utilizing right grammar and sentence construction. This is besides supported by Jason M. Ward ( 2004 ) who claims that due to the online environment where everyone can read their work, weblogging motivates the scholars to pay close attending to their authorship doing them to work excess careful when building their sentences therefore assisting them to bring forth good work in English and at the same clip set up their authorship on the web. In add-on to this, weblogging can besides assist to better argumentative authorship and descriptive authorship due to the comfy authorship environment provided by the site ( Abdulaziz, 2011 )
Weblog besides helps the 2nd linguistic communication scholars to better their authorship accomplishments by supplying a convenient environment to compose. Writing is a phase procedure that includes prewriting, multiple drafting, and revising phase and weblogging has made the rewriting phase easier because the edit station and the delete station characteristics allow the scholars to easy redact and revise their work by adding new points or omits any inappropriate existing points ( Dilani Sampath, 2011 ) Furthermore, due to the manner of weblogging which is different from the conventional authorship manner, the scholars were able to compose longer as they can take their clip to complete their undertaking without being put under any force per unit area, therefore doing their authorship more effectual and originative although their English linguistic communication accomplishments were limited ( Nadzrah & A ; Kemboja, 2009 ) This environment is really utile because some of the scholars wrote and thought in their native linguistic communication foremost and so translated them into English and for this ground, the pupils were able to compose more constructively and more organized ( Nadzrah & A ; Kemboja, 2009 )
Furthermore, the asynchronous nature of weblog gives the scholars chance to believe exhaustively before posting and redact the mistakes in their plants as many times as they like whenever they like ( Ward, 2004 ) This is supported by Dilani Sampath Pahala Gedera ( 2011 ) who claims that the scholars can hold “ the chance to take clip to reflect and prosecute in the activities when convenient and at their ain infinite. ” ( p.129 ) Furthermore, the asynchronous nature of weblog allows the scholars to revise their ain entries and their equals ‘ posters without being restricted to clip and infinite, giving them the opportunity to larn new grammatical constructions and new words ( Nadzrah & A ; Kemboja, 2009 )
In add-on to this, harmonizing to Dilani Sampath ( 2011 ) weblogging is less face endangering compared to traditional or conventional authorship manner because the feedback received from the audience did non affect unsightly marks in ruddy ink like exclaiming Markss and inquiry Markss, hence doing them experience comfy and less nerve-racking in composing their entries. Furthermore, the scholars were able to show themselves more freely when composing in weblogs compared to composing on documents because they were able to utilize simple colloquial English instead than formal English ( Nadzrah & A ; Kemboja, 2009 ) Furthermore, it is besides reported that scholars who posted on a regular basis on their weblogs and exchanged positions with their friends performed more proficiently in their authorship undertakings, therefore demoing an betterment in their critical thought accomplishments ( Ruby Vurdien, 2011 )
Last but non least, Abdulaziz ( 2011 ) has identified at least six positive things about utilizing weblog – interaction with readers, happening an mercantile establishment and entree to authorship, composing in English on the Internet, developing academic authorship in English, developing composing subjects in more item in equal clip and larning new vocabulary. However, he did non give farther account for each advantage of utilizing weblogs and weblog harmonizing to Ruby Vurdien ( 2011 ) is considered as a utile tool to go on pattern composing outside the schoolroom. These well-known theories are important in order to understand the findings. All of these impressions will resurface and be farther discussed and elaborated in the treatment subdivision.
This research is utile for both the 2nd linguistic communication scholars and the instructors in order to better the 2nd linguistic communication acquisition experiences. Furthermore, it can profit the 2nd linguistic communication scholars by actuating them to pattern authorship by giving them an alternate authorship manner which is more convenient than the conventional authorship. Last but non least, this research can assist to lend to the advancement of 2nd linguistic communication acquisition and CALL as it can assist to determine the linguistic communication larning environment particularly for composing accomplishment in order to do it more interesting and actuating for the 2nd linguistic communication scholars.
