Most recent accounts of work with diaries or journals on language courses have
offered insights into learners’ attitudes towards course goals and
activities and towards their own learning. The present study focuses more on the use
of language course diaries as a means of language exploration by learners, looking
specifically at diaries kept by 38 second-year undergraduate students in five
tutorial groups during an English language course at the National University of
Singapore. The investigation comprises a preliminary content analysis of the course
diaries, a presentation of learners’ responses to a questionnaire, a
fuller illustrative account of learners’ engagement with language issues
in their diaries, and a commentary on teacher feedback and learner reactions. The
discussion suggests implications for roles and responsibilities of learners and
teachers, over a range of teaching circumstances, and points to other researchable
issues to which course diary studies oriented towards language might contribute.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Alderson, J. C.
,
Clapham, C.
and
Steel, D.1997:
Metalinguistic knowledge, language aptitude and language proficiency
. Language Teaching Research1(2):
93-121
.
2.
Allan, A. I. C. G.1995:
Begging the questionnaire: instrument effect on readers’
responses to a self-report checklist
. Language Testing12(2):
133-156
.
3.
Allison, D.1997: Characterising an English-language curriculum: a study in
English for academic purposes, Topics in Language and Literature 6.
Singapore: Department of English Language and
Literature, National University of Singapore
.
4.
Bailey, K. M.1983: Competitiveness and anxiety in second language learning:
looking at and through the diary studies. In
Seliger, H. W.
and
Long, M. H.
, editors, Classroom oriented research in second language
acquisition,
Rowley, MA: Newbury House
, 67-67-103.
5.
Bailey, K. M.1991: Diary studies of classroom language learning: the doubting
game and the believing game. In
Sadtono, E.
, editor, Language acquisition and the second/foreign language
classroom, Anthology 28,
Singapore: Regional Language Centre
, 60-102.
6.
Bailey, K. M.
and
Ochsner, R.1983: A methodological review of the diary studies: windmill
tilting or social science? In
Bailey, K. M.
,
Long, M. H.
and
Peck, S.
, editors, Second language acquisition studies,
Rowley, MA: Newbury House
, 188-198.
7.
Bell, J.1993: Doing your research project: a guide for first-time
researchers in education and social science.
Buckingham & Philadelphia: Open
University Press
.
8.
Celce-Murcia, M.
,
Dornyei, Z.
and
Thurrell, S.1997:
Direct approaches in L2 instruction: a turning point in communicative
language teaching
? TESOL Quarterly31(1):
141-152
.
9.
Clark, J. L.1989: A cross-cultural comparison of teacher perceptions in Britain
and Hong Kong as to how best they can be supported in their work. In
Bickley, V.
, editor,
Language teaching and learning styles within and across cultures,
Hong Kong: Education Department41-54.
10.
Ellis, R.1989:
Classroom learning styles and their effect on second language acquisition:
a study of two learners
. System17(2):
249-262
.
11.
Gupta, A. F.1994: The step-tongue: children’s English in
Singapore.
Clevedon and Philadelphia: Multilingual Matters
.
12.
Halliday, M. A. K.1987: Some basic concepts of educational linguistics. In
Bickley, V.
, editor, Languages in education in a bilingual or multilingual
setting,
Hong Kong: Education Department
, 5-17.
13.
Halliday, M. A. K.1994: An introduction to functional grammar.
London: Edward Arnold
.
14.
Hilleson, M.1996: ‘I want to talk with them, but I don’t
want them to hear’: an introspective study of second-language anxiety
in an English-medium school. In
Bailey, K. M.
and
Nunan, D. C.
, editors, Voices from the language classroom: qualitative research in
second language education,
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
, 248-275.
15.
Leech, G.1981: Semantics: the study of meaning.
Harmondsworth: Penguin
.
16.
Lewis, M.
1997:
Learner journals in an academic writing class
. Paper presented at RELC Regional Seminar,
Singapore, April.
17.
McCarthy, M.
and
Carter, R.1994: Language as discourse: perspectives for language
teaching.
London and New York: Longman
.
18.
McDonough, J.1994:
A teacher looks at teachers’ diaries
. ELT Journal48(1):
57-65
.
Meyer, L.
1997:
Improving learning and teaching effectiveness through students’
reflective journals
. Paper presented at RELC Regional Seminar,
Singapore, April.
21.
Nunan, D. C.
,
Berry, R.
and
Berry, V.
editors, 1995: Language awareness in language
education.
University of Hong Kong: Department of
Curriculum Studies
.
22.
Palmer, F. R.1981: Semantics.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
.
23.
Parkinson, B.
and
Howell-Richardson, C.1989: Learner diaries. In
Brumfit, C. J.
and
Mitchell, R.
, editors, Research in the language classroom, ELT Documents 133,
London: Modern English Publications/British Council
, 128-400.
24.
Peck, S.1996: Language learning diaries as mirrors of students’
cultural sensitivity. In
Bailey, K. M.
and
Nunan, D. C.
, editors, Voices from the language classroom: qualitative research in
second language education,
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
, 236-247.
25.
Peyton, J. Kreeft
, editor, 1990: Students and teachers writing together:
perspectives on journal writing.
Alexandria, VA: TESOL
.
26.
Peyton, J. Kreeft
and
Staton, J.1993: Dialogue journals in the multilingual classroom: building
fluency and writing skills through written interaction.
Norwood, NJ: Ablex
.
27.
Richards, K.1992:
Pepys into a TEFL course
. ELT Journal46(2):
144-152
.
28.
Schmidt, R. W.
and
Frota, S. N.1986: Developing basic conversational ability in a second
language: a case study of an adult learner of Portuguese. In
Day, R. R.
, editor, Talking to learn: conversation in second language
acquisition,
Rowley, MA: Newbury House
, 237-326.
29.
Schumann, F. M.
and
Schumann, J. H.1977: Diary of a language learner: an introspective study of
second language learning. In
Brown, H. D.
,
Crymes, R. H.
and
Yorio, C. A.
, e d i t o r s, Teaching and learning English as a second language:
trends in research and practice,
Washington, DC: TESOL
.
30.
Spack, R.
and
Sadow, C.1983:
Student-teacher working journals in ESL freshman composition
. TESOL Quarterly17(4):
575-593
.
31.
Tickoo, M. L.1995: Reading-writing research and Asian TEFL classrooms:
providing for differentness. In
Tickoo, M. L.
, editor, Reading and writing: theory into practice, Anthology 35,
Singapore: Regional Language Centre
, 259-280.
32.
Widin, J.
and
Bessell-Browne, G.
1996:
Bringing cultures together: journal writing
. Paper presented at RELC Seminar,
Singapore, April.
33.
Wiradisastra, G.
1996:
Dialogue journals: giving the ELT classroom a personal touch
. Paper presented at RELC Seminar,
Singapore, April.
