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Information and communications technology (ICT) have generated significant changes in all fields, including that of second/foreign language teaching and learning. Recently, many educators and language researchers (Campbell, 2003; Dippold, 2009; Penrod, 2007; Pinkman, 2005; Soares, 2008) have suggested that blogs can be useful tools through which language can be taught and learned.
As defined by Webopedia, blog is a shortened form of the term Web log, which is “a web page that serves as a publicly accessible personal journal for an individual,” normally updated daily and often reflecting the personality of the author. Penrod (2007) states that blogs are “the world’s hottest, fastest-growing electronic medium for writing and distributing opinions and information” (p. 1). In terms of the applications of blogs to second language teaching and learning, Campbell (2003) suggests that there are three ways in which blogs can be used as teaching tools in an ESL context: tutor blogs, individual/learner blogs, and class blogs.
Recently, an increasing number of language instructors have integrated blogs into their teaching. Research has also explored the effects of blog use in L2 writing (Dippold, 2009; Pinkman, 2005). However, insufficient attention has been paid to blogs and their influence on second language writing, particularly within the context of Vietnamese EFL classes.
Teaching English Writing in Vietnam
Writing is not generally regarded as an important skill in most Vietnamese EFL classrooms. In most high schools in Vietnam, the teaching of writing is confined to a focus on the sentence level, with typical exercises including sentence transformation and sentence building. Although textbooks include some writing activities that instruct beyond the sentence level (such as the writing of letters and narratives), these activities are considered optional due to the constraints imposed by large class sizes. In fact, Vietnamese high school students have few opportunities to practise writing in English or to receive feedback from their teachers. Similarly, writing is not a focus of Vietnamese EFL classes at the tertiary level where more emphasis is placed on grammar and reading. It is not compulsory for undergraduates to study writing except those majoring in English, who are required to take Academic Writing courses. Non-English majors are required to take General English (GE) and/or English for Specific Purposes (ESP) for the first two or three years of their undergraduate studies, depending on the nature of their specialties.