Learning to Write in English as a Foreign Language through Learner Diaries: The Sumer School Experience

Abstract

Writing in a foreign language can be a daunting task. Lack of content and low proficiency in a foreign language resulted in cognitive overload in some students. This study aimed to look at how learner diaries can be effectively utilized to encourage students to write in English. A total of 47 students from a private university in Japan participated in this study following a two-week summer school programme organised by the Language Academy, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. They were required to write learner diaries throughout these two weeks to encourage them to write and, at the same time, further promote their writing skill. In total, each student wrote seven learner diaries on various topics related to activities they participated throughout the programme. Pre and post-tests were administered, and the quantitative analysis showed a significant improvement in their writing abilities. Further textual analysis of the learner diaries indicated a substantial improvement in the use of vocabulary and sentence structures. Therefore, learner diaries are found to be effective in promoting the writing ability of EFL students.