Proceedings of The 4th International Academic Conference on Education, Teaching and Learning
Year: 2021
DOI:
Investigation into the Role of Blogging as Interactive Technology to Improve Saudi EFL Writing Abilities in Different Genres of Writing through the Application of Process Genre Approach
Sultan Samah A Alenezi
ABSTRACT:
Writing is an essential skill in academic communication. However, this skill is considered the most difficult skill compared to the other language skills for Saudi EFL learners. The main reason for the difficulties of writing in Saudi Arabia is the way that writing was taught where it mostly focuses on grammar and vocabulary and is fully teacher-dominated. This way made the students’ uppermost concern is only how to pass exams. Although effective learning should be a social process according to the perspective of Vygotsky’s Sociocultural theory. The perspective of this theory can be underlined by the use of blogging in EFL writing classes, because it emphasises social activities. Additionally, integrating blogging in EFL writing classes with integrating process genre approach theories that can help create an interactive environment through series of recursive process passes through several stages begins with the pre-writing stage and ends with publishing the final writing draft. The study employed a mixed research methods design integrating the quantitative approach(questionnaire) with the qualitative approach (interviews). It involved second-year students who were majoring in English language in one Saudi university. The participants were required to three different genres of writing based on recursive process includes prewriting, drafting, revising, feedback, editing and publishing the final draft on the blog. The results indicated that the Saudi EFL learners showed positive attitudes towards their experience with blogging that established continuous social interaction and peer collaboration due to integrating it with integration strategies of the PGA that led to developing their writing abilities.
keywords: EFL writing,blogging, Saudi learners, scaffolding, process genre approach ( PGA ).