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INTRODUCTION Writing is a sociocultural phenomenon that reflects a community's values. According to Murray (2000), writing is "not a set of skills, whose absence or presence in individuals or communities automatically leads to particular outcomes" (p. 44). In other words, writing is not a context-free, value-neutral set of skills but a set of social or cultural practices and its participants as a community of practice" (Reder, 1994, p. 33). Vygotsky (1978) argues that all learning is inherently social in nature. In fact, Vygotsky's theory implies that writing arises out of and retains the functions of social uses of language. A particular discourse community is characterized by the particular conventions of creating and interacting with texts. Therefore, in order to acquire writing, one needs socialization or acculturation into the distinctive conventions of the particular discourse community. Obviously writing practices are not only social but also mental and individual: writing involves a lot more than inscribing words. It is a linguistic process that relies not only on knowledge of vocabulary and grammar, but also on knowledge of textual organization beyond the sentence level, knowledge of genres, and knowledge of conventions of spoken and written language. It is a cognitive process that involves creating links between our knowledge and textual forms and ongoing critical assessment of the quality of those links. It is a social practice, interwoven into larger social practices, that is developed through apprenticeship and shaped by its users to conform with social needs. In sum, writing is seen as a dynamic set of linguistic, social and cognitive processes that are culturally motivated (Kern, 2000). Furthermore, writing is now situated within computer networks, and the most profound effects of computer technology on writing arise from social interaction made possible by computer networks. Social use of computer technology, especially virtual environments such as MOO and WOO , present a new opportunity to enable EFL learners to interact with native speakers in a social community for developing EFL learners' writing ability. Seen in this context, virtual environments on computer networks and writing are closely related. Therefore, the basic premise underlying this study is that EFL writing education can be empowered by the potential of virtual environments on computer networks. I examine in more detail the question of how activities in virtual environments enhance EFL learners' writing acquisition. VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS Many virtual environments are socially oriented. Communication in virtual environments allows for a safe environment to share ideas and cheap access to people worldwide. Virtual environments also allow foreign language learners to make native speaker friends from their homes. They can meet native speakers worldwide in a free space designed to promote discussion of a specific topic or simply socialization. By the same token, educators are excited by the possibilities that this new technology offers. They have a new way of encouraging students to write, and they can connect classes worldwide. Virtual Environments offer a new way of examining language and writing. Communication tools to enchance EFL learners' writing ability in virtual environments
Other features in virtual environments
Resources For EFL Learners
For Virtual-environment-using Teachers and Colleagues
FEATURES OF INTERACTION IN VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS The features of interaction shown below, based on an ESL/EFL literacy researcher's personal experience, support the potentials of virtual environments to improve not only EFL learners'writing ability but also language development. Furthermore, the features will help EFL learners know how to apply virtual environments to English writing development. 1) Learners can join various authentic writing tasks with authentic audiences. Virtual environments are based on written-language conversation tools such as synchronous chats, e-mails, and bulletin boards. As soon as learners enter virtual environments, they have to write in English for the purpose of communication or to deliver their opinions. In that sense, virtual environments enable EFL learners to engage in authentic writing tasks with authentic audiences. WORLDSMASTER> Welcome to Worlds! ylim5> hi, there! Rating Thread Thread Starter Last Post Replies Views True Doctor Stories Tex_Bugman by Tex_Bugman 8 52 2) Learners receive direct or indirect feedback on the target language writing from their partners. The feedback plays an important role in language development. However, it is not easy for EFL learners to receive feedback because they do not have many chances to use English, and there are few people who are proficient in English in the environment of the learners. Thus, virtual environments are good places for EFL learners' writing and language development because they allow EFL learners to use English. In addition, the native speakers that the learners meet in virtual environments correct EFL learners' English errors in the natural situations and in the various ways. A: right click on my body and you will see some options (Native speaker) B: opetions? (EFL/ESL literacy researcher) A: options (Native speaker) I made an exam paper. (from a EFL leanrer's e-mail) -> Did you set an exam, or prepare an exam paper. (from the response of a native speaker) 3) Learners can learn about the target language society and culture as well as language. Many researchers (e.g. Kern, 2000) in literacy education prove the importance of learning about target language society and culture to develop literacy ability. Virtual environments make possible that EFL learners can learn about them through various communication tools: synchronous chat, e-mail, and bulletin board. Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Whitehorse, Frozen North Age: 41 Posts: 396 4 minutes of silence Four RCMP officers were shot and killed after conducting a raid on a marijuana grow operation northwest of Edmonton on Thursday. It's the single deadliest incident for Canada's national police force in 120 years. At a news conference in Mayerthorpe, RCMP Assistant Commissioner Bill Sweeney said: "As you can well imagine, the loss of four police officers is unprecedented in recent history in Canada. . . . It's devastating." He added that not since the Northwest Rebellion of 1885 have so many police officers been killed in the line of duty. (From a native speaker) 4) Learners experience a sense of place, a setting similar to face-to-face conversation with native speakers because learners show what they look like and express their feelings. Furthermore, interaction is much more similar to the discourse and behavior of people gathered anywhere for the purpose of socializing. B: can I keep in touch with you? (EFL/ESL literacy researcher) A: we have a meeting on this Sunday evening (Native speaker) A: really??? (EFL/ESL literacy researcher) B: nice to meet you (EFL/ESL literacy researcher) A: nice dance (Native speaker) B: thanks (EFL/ESL literacy researcher) KaiteB: do your students connect internet? (Native speaker) WangZ: Yes, but their computer skills are not good. (EFL/ESL literacy researcher) KaiteB: if so, it will be not easy because you have to teach everything in detail (Native speaker) WangZ: Do you have any good ideas? (EFL/ESL literacy researcher) 5) Both the feeling of object ownership as learners create spaces and the permanence of the environment motivate learners to return for continued conversation and community building. it is cooperation that encourages learners to continue developing their writing ability. Virtual environments look like real life places. For example, when I go back to a virtual environemnt, nothing has really changed. My own rooms and objects represent me, so I need to always take care of them. (From interview with an EFL/ESL literacy researcher) CONCLUSION As I have shown so far, EFL learners engage in various interactions in virtual environments for EFL writing development such as 1) authentic writing tasks with authentic audiences 2) direct or indirect feedback from native speakers 3) learning English and English society and culture as well as language 4) involving simulated society 5) creating avatar and various own objects and rooms. However, because the primary goal of virtual environments is not to help EFL learners to improve their writing, all interaction and activities are not helpful to them. For example, sometimes, virtual environments expose EFL learners to inappropriate relation with partners and improper language input. Thus, I suggest some guidelines to obtain the desired results.
REFERENCE Kern , R. (2000). Literacy and Language Teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Murray , D. F. (2000). Changing technologies, changing literacies communities. Language Learning & Technology, 4(2), 43-58. Reder , S. (1994). Practice-engagement theory: A sociocultural approach to literacy across language and cultures. In B. M. Ferdman, R-M. Weber, & A. G. Ramirez (Eds.), Literacy across languages and cultures (pp. 33-74). Albany, NY: State University of New York. Turbee , L. (1999). Classroom practice: MOO, WOO, and more-Language learning in virtual environments. In J. Egbert, & E. Hanson-Smith (Eds.), CALL environments: Research, practice, and critical issues (pp. 17-26). Alexandria, VA: TESOL. Vygotsky , L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. |
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