Blogging: Promoting Learner Autonomy and Intercultural Competence through Study Abroad

By Lina Lee. Language Learning & Technology, 2011

249 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Lina Lee University of New Hampshire The current study explores closely how using a combined modalities of asynchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC) via blogs and face-to-face (FTF) interaction through ethnographic interviews with native speakers (L1s) supports autonomous learning as the result of reflective and social processes. The study involves 16 American undergraduate students who participated in blogs to develop their intercultural competence over the course of one-semester study abroad. The results show that blogs afforded students the opportunity to work independently (e.g., content creation) and reflect upon cross-cultural issues. Critical reflection, however, relied on the teacher’s guidance and feedback, as most of the students were cognitively challenged by not being able to clearly articulate different points of view. It is likely that students were not accustomed to reflecting. The findings also indicate that task type fostered autonomy in different ways. While free topics gave students more control of their own learning, teacher-assigned topics required them to critically think about the readings. Lack of access to Internet at the host institution and family also contributed to a limited level of social interaction. The study concludes that well-designed tasks, effective metacognitive and cognitive skills, and the accessibility to Internet are essential to maximize the potentials of blogs for learner autonomy and intercultural communication.

Subfields: Communication, Developmental and Educational Psychology, Language and Linguistics

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/f600e094bb058ef7f3123a4d66f4db31b9927ef1

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Citations in the corpus

Language learning and study abroad (2018, background): “Lee (2011) analyzes the use of personal blogs, a class blog, and project blogs by Americans in Spain to increase engagement with the target culture and interactions with Spanish speakers out of class.”
Intercultural communicative competence and online exchanges: a systematic review (2018, methodology): “Studies in which text was used throughout the exchange but participants also had the opportunity to visit their interlocutors as part of their study abroad program (Lee, 2011), praised the use of blogs for developing critical thinking and analysing cross-cultural similarities and differences.”