Article Review

Title: THE DEVELOPMENT OF E-MAIL LITERACY: FROM WRITING TO PEERS TO WRITING TO AUTHORITY FIGURES

(http://llt.msu.edu/vol10num2/chen/default.html)

Journal: Language Learning and Technology,Vol.10, No.2, May 2006, pp. 35-55

Author's/Researcher's Name & Background: Chi-Fen Emily Chen is an Associate Professor in the Department of English in the National Kaohsiung First University of Science and Technology, Taiwan. Her areas of specialization are second language acquisition, discourse analysis, pragmatics, computer assisted language learning and TESOL methodology. She is also the moderator of her own ESL website named 'Emily's English Learning Web'.

Summary of the Article:

The research entitled 'The Development of E-mail Literacy: From Writing to Peers to Writing to Authority Figures' is aimed to uncover the complexity of a second language (L2) learner developing e-mail practice and to explore sociocognitive and sociopsychological factors affecting the L2 learner's language use via this medium in relation to power relations, identity construction, and culture-specific ideologies. In order to achieve her aim, the researcher had chosen Ling, a Taiwanese graduate student who majored in education in her master's studies who later did linguistics for her PhD studies in a university in the United States to be her research subject. The research was a longitudinal study conducted on the subject for two and a half years and it was conducted that way to provide a deeper understanding of how an L2 learner develops e-mail literacy in the target language environment. There are two kinds of data collection in this study (i) 266 e-mails that Ling wrote during her graduate studies in the US over two and a half years(from August, 1999 to December, 2001), including 168 e-mails sent to friends/classmates and 98 sent to professors; and (ii) three face-to-face in-depth interviews conducted at the beginning, middle, and end of the data collection process, along with several online interviews via e-mail and online chat when immediate clarification or elaboration was needed. At the end of the research, there were three important findings found which is first, an L2 learner’s frequent use of e-mail to communicate with peers does not indicate that she is able to use the medium appropriately and effectively for institutional status-unequal communication. Second, the development of L2 learners’ language use in composing status-unequal e-mails is neither an easy nor a simple process and the third finding is appropriateness is not a one-dimensional notion in status-unequal e-mail communication. The development of the subject's e-mail literacy is measured through her general e-mail discourse features, discourse style, message length, message structure and request strategies.


I find this research very interesting because it was conducted to provide a deeper understanding of how an L2 learner develops e-mail literacy in the target language environment and this is much related to my personal experience as an L2 learner as well. From this research also I learn that e-mail writing can be done in two ways which are through deductive and inductive way. Inductive way of writing is like a story-telling in which the purpose of writing is not straightforward and it is ineffective to be used in an institutional context such as to send an e-mail to a lecturer. Deductive way of writing on the other hand is straightforward and the purpose of writing is placed at the beginning. I have a pen-pal named Jay who happens to be an English teacher teaching in Japan and I develop my e-mail literacy through him. We have started using e-mail as a tool to communicate for the past 6 years and I realize that using e-mail is a very relaxing way to polish up my English language and most of our exchanged e-mails were written inductively because we share stories. He corrects my grammar in a very subtle way and he never uses any abbreviations, so the contents of his e-mails are written using proper English and this benefits me in many ways. I do the same with him because it would be embarrassing for me to use abbreviations when he does not. I consider him as much superior than me because he is the native speaker of English and that is his language that I use to communicate, therefore I pay respect to him through my proper writing. I admit that it is much difficult for me to write an appropriate e-mail to a native speaker and higher authority people than writing e-mail to my peers because the discourse styles are different. Apart from discourse style, the difference can be measured from message length,message structure and request strategies. That is why I like the research because I can see different styles of writing convention between e-mails sent to the subject's peers and professors and the reasons for the differences are also stated in the findings. I can also identify my flaws in e-mail writing to different people based on the research findings. Due to that, I think this research was well conducted. Moreover, it was a longitudinal study which allowed the researcher to monitor the progress of the research subject for two and a half years. As a result, it was found that the subject had difficulties with language use for appropriateness. If most L2 learners in Malaysia and generally experience the same problem like the subject, then it will affect the learner's e-mail writing style in the workplace which usually requires them to communicate effectively with important people. Hence, it is important to be aware of the recipient's power, identity and culture-specific ideology in writing e-mails because appropriate discourse forms and strategies could shape and reflect the power relations and situated identities of the sender. L2 learners need to be taught in the L2 classroom on how to communicate appropriately through e-mail with higher authority people as one of the ways to deal with this problem.

(864 words)

Dr. Jim's Website Welcomes You..

My website evaluation: http://www.uni.edu/becker/TESOL_ESL2.html


1) What does the application attempt to “teach”?

This is actually a website dedicated for learners of English and the four basic skills such as reading, listening, speaking and writing are integrated in the website. There are many links included in the website and for an instance; there is a link that provides TESOL, ESL and TESL learners with an easy access to newspaper front pages in their original, unedited form all over the United States. It is an access which is hard to find from other ESL websites. Apart from that, there is a link which helps learners with guides on how to improve their English which is through reading several suggested reading materials. As for listening, the website is provided with a link on favourite ESL conversations and transcription service. ‘EFL/ESL Songs and Activities’ link on the other hand invites learners to sing along the suggested songs that teach conversational English and English vocabulary that I find very interesting. Last but not least, for writing skill, the website assists learners on links such as ‘Guide to Grammar and Writing’ and ‘How to Write Well’ which I think are much needed by TESOL, EFL and ESL learners.

2) What sorts of things is the application user expected to do with regards to learning the content?

This website enables learners to feel free to explore as much knowledge of English as they wish so as they are in charge on their own learning. The learners are expected to be regular visitors of that website to learn new English knowledge that is provided for free. They can choose whatever they want to learn and there are even lots of games for learners to learn English in a much more fun way than usual talk-and-chalk kind of learning they receive in the classroom. Interestingly, this website also provides teachers with useful resources for their students. There are many handouts that the teachers can print out or get some fresh ideas for them to make their English teaching seems appealing to the students.

3) What sorts of computer skills is the application users expected to have in order to operate/ access/ use the application?

The users only need basic computer skills in order to utilize the website. They need to know on how to turn on the computer and have access to the internet and search engine. When they are satisfied with the website contents, they can bookmark the website so that it will be easier for them to access the website whenever they need in future time. There is no complicated skill needed in order to use the application in the website and basically they just need to click to the any of the links they choose to explore. If they want to improve their listening skills, then they just have to control the volume on their pc or laptop.


4) While you are “playing/ accessing/ assessing” the application, does it remind you of anything you do in a classroom, or with a teacher, or with a fellow classmate, or in self- study?

I have experienced playing several games in the website such as ‘Crossword Puzzles’ and ‘Hangman’ which never bore me even I play it many times. When I was studying in school, I only experienced two times learning English using IT technologies such as computer. I was not well exposed to ESL websites maybe due to the lack of IT equipments in my school at that time. How interesting it would be if I could learn English using any ESL websites when I was in school. There is a link on the website that provides learners with lesson on ‘Similes’ and that reminds me of my lesson where my teacher used the traditional method, chalk and talk to teach. Not to say the traditional way was not effective, I would rather say it was less effective because we consumed a lot of our times when we were asked to copy the exercises written on the board. There are also numbers of grammar exercises that I have done with my friends during our microteaching. Thus, when I did my practicum last semester, I utilized a lot of ESL websites to get fresh ideas for my teaching. I printed out lots of games for my students and also any worksheets that I think were needed to spark new interest in learning among them. I agree that ESL websites are useful to teachers because it helps them to save a lot of their time and at the same time gives them fresh inputs to be more creative in their teaching.


5) Can you pinpoint some theories of language learning and/ or teaching underlying the application?

Learning English through any ESL websites promotes autonomous learning to the learners where it is a technique that enhances a learner’s sense of competence and self-worth. The learners can choose what they want to learn from the website and it is the learners’ rights to choose the best ESL website for them just like the website that I have chosen, a website that is rich with contents. When the teacher integrates learning English through ESL websites in the language lab, it means the teacher applies Silent Way method in teaching where the teacher keeps silent and acts as stimulator. The learners have control on all the contents that are included in the website. This method implies that the learners learn more when they discover the knowledge on their own such as when they utilize the tutorial links that teach them grammar, writing and so on. The learners can also gain immediate feedbacks once they have completed the exercises. Moreover, if compared to other ESL websites, this website provides users with links to journals and many links for user friendly online dictionaries with pronunciation.


6) How well is the constructivist theory of learning applied to the chosen website(s)?

There is constructivist theory applied in the website that I have chosen. It is a theory that is not far deviated from ‘self-discovery’ learning where the learners construct knowledge for themselves. Each learner individually and socially constructs meaning as he or she learns. When the learners learn anything from the website, they are considered active learners. They search for the website and search what they want to learn from that website with the teacher acts as stimulator. For example, there is a link in the website that provides learners with grammar tutorial and there are many grammar exercises for them to do. This is when constructivist theory is applied; learners learn to learn as they learn. Once they have understood one grammar element for an instance, they can do the exercise and receive immediate feedbacks, so that they will be aware whether they have understood what they have learned or not. There are also many games in the website that enable learners to generate their thinking because crucial place to construct meaning is in the mind.

7) In 1980’s and early 1990’s, there was a major debate on whether a computer was a “master” of or “slave” to the learning process (Higgins and Johns, 1984). In relation to your evaluation- was the computer a replacement for teachers, or merely an obedient servant to students?

In my honest opinion, I believe that computer is a replacement of teachers. It eases the burden of the teachers because it saves a lot of the teacher’s time to do complicated things when it actually can be done by the computer. By having good time management, the teacher can focus more on the students’ needs. They can simply get worksheets for the students by printing it out from any suitable ESL websites rather than they have to create something new that will consume a lot of their time when the time is actually so limited for them. Teachers and computers can work hand in hand to impart knowledge to the students so technologies need to be utilized with good manner.


8) Would you like to use the application yourself in your future work?

I am looking forward to fully utilize this ESL website when I become permanent teacher because this website has everything that I need as a teacher of English as a Second Language. Not only I consider myself as a teacher, but I also consider myself as an ongoing ESL learner because there are still lots of English knowledge that I have to gain as goes with the notion that learning is a lifelong process. I will also encourage my students to utilize this website because I want them to learn English in a fun and leisure way. I am so thankful to Professor Emeritus Dr. Jim Becker who is the moderator of this website towards his noble contribution to have provided and spread knowledge about learning English to his learners across regions.

p.s: Suggestions/ Recommendations

This website is pleasant to be looked at without too many distracting graphics; however, it still needs some more bright background colours to make it livelier. The contents are rich and many important links are provided to users but it should be made more organized than what it looks now. Perhaps, the moderator can divide the activities according to age group or education level so that it would be easier for users to search for their topics.