Sponsor
Portland State University. Department of Applied Linguistics
First Advisor
Marjorie Terdal
Term of Graduation
Spring 2000
Date of Publication
5-23-2000
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (M.A.) in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
Department
Applied Linguistics
Language
English
Subjects
Diaries -- Authorship -- Study and teaching (Higher), Spanish language -- Composition and exercises -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- Foreign speakers, Spanish language -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- Foreign speakers
Physical Description
1 online resource (90 pages)
Abstract
The purpose of this study has been to determine what effect the difference in cultural and general topics has on the length, complexity, and quality of resulting entries in electronic dialogue journals. The data, which consisted of 132 electronic dialogue entries generated by eleven adult students in a second year university Spanish course over a period of four weeks, were measured for length, in terms of total words and total number of t-units; complexity, by dividing the total number of words by the total number of t-units; and quality, as assessed by the Jacobs profile (1981), which considers the following areas: content, organization, vocabulary, language use, and mechanics. In addition, students' reactions and attitudes toward cultural versus general topics, and toward electronic journalizing were explored in an end of term questionnaire.
It was found that the assignment of cultural topics did not appear to make a difference, neither in quantity of words or t-units nor in complexity of journal entries. The quality, however, was shown to vary by the topic that the students wrote about.
In general in considering students' reactions to cultural and general topics, the students preferred the cultural topics because they found them more interesting and easier to write about. Finally, students saw the electronic dialogue journal as an interactive, fast activity that promotes communication and learning.
Rights
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Recommended Citation
Monge Jácome, Katya Elizabeth, "Use of Cultural Topics in Electronic Dialogue Journals in the Foreign Language Classroom" (2000). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 7050.