5 reasons why EFL BLOGGING is a good idea

1) BLOGGING promotes the development of higher order thinking skills since in order to establish a conversation, to encourage people to comment on a certain topic, and to construct knowledge collectively, students and teachers will have to go beyond superficialities, posting entries that increase reflection, analysis, discussion, and synthesis. Students should be writing from their hearts about topis that engage them in the act of writing.

2) When BLOGGING, students create meanings that make sense to them because they are constructing them, not having pieces delivered to them that they just repeat. BLOGGING helps students perceive the importance of learning a language as a communication tool and promotes the authenticity every language educator seeks. In order to engage in conversations through blogs, students will have to reflect on the quality of their writing and the language being used, be more attentive to their audience, and more selective of their sources.

3) BLOGGING gives the teachers the possibility to establish a different kind of rapport with and among their students, allowing the chance to give a voice to each one of the learners. Thus talents are discovered and personal vignettes are revealed in ways that wouldn't  be possible in a three-hour weekly encounter.

4) BLOGGING gives a sense of belonging to writers and readers. They become part of a community who engage in meaningful conversations in which what each one says matters. Everyone's voice echoes in distant parts of the globe and is heard by others and, as a consequence, they can learn about different cultures, develop a more comprehensive understanding of cultural differences, and internalize the idea of the benefits of diversity.

5) When BLOGGING, students create meanings that make sense to them, students create meanings that make sense to them because they are constructing them, not having pieces delivered to them that they just repeat.

Incorporating blogs in teaching routines requires an educational paradigm shift in which educators need to relinquish control and authority in order to favor a collective construction of knowledge. Many teachers still don't feel prepared to take the plunge but it's a totally enriching, engaging process that is worth experiencing even if it seems a bit chaotic given lack of control by the teacher over what is being produce.

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Carla Arena, Blogging in the Language Classroom: It Doesn't "Simply Happen" - TESL - EJ 11.4 - March 2008