Technology is not currently used in ESL classrooms at King Saud University. Therefore an attempt was made to use technology in ESL writing instruction from home, in addition to traditional classroom instruction. Subjects of the present study were two groups of freshman students. Before instruction, both groups were pre-tested. They wrote a paragraph. Results of the mean comparisons of the pre-test scores showed significant differences between both groups in their writing ability. The control group outperformed the experimental group. The experimental group had many writing problems. Then, both groups were exposed to the same traditional in-class writing instruction. They completed all the chapters and exercises in the textbook assigned by the department. In addition, the experimental group used an online course in which they wrote short paragraphs and posted stories and poems. They e-mailed each other and e-mailed the instructor, word-processed their paragraphs and checked their own spelling. They located information related to the themes covered in the book from sites like “Yahoo movies” and “WebMD”. The experimental group used the internet from home as it was inaccessible from campus. At the end of the semester, both groups were post-tested. Comparisons of the post-test mean scores of students’ essays showed significant differences between both groups. The experimental group outperformed the control group. Results show that in learning environments where technology is unavailable to ESL students and instructors, use of technology from home and even as a supplement to traditional classroom techniques helps motivate and enhance ESL students' writing skills.
Prof. Reima Al-jarf
King Saud University
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
http://faculty.ksu.edu.sa/aljarf
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