An experimental study on the effects of the use of blogs on EFL reading comprehension

Abstract

Few findings were noted on the effects of blogs specifically on English as a foreign language (EFL) reading comprehension. However, those studies did not address the effect of blogs on reading comprehension in the Turkish EFL context. Thus, this study aims to investigate the effects of the use of blogs on reading comprehension among Turkish EFL learners. In this experimental study, a background questionnaire, a reading comprehension pretest and a posttest were administered to a sample group of 42 EFL learners. The data were used to provide a statistical analysis to address the research question. Results indicate that the use of blogs itself does not guarantee a better performance in terms of reading comprehension, while the reading instruction positively affects their reading performance in both traditional and blog environments. It is recommended that teachers should be aware that the use of blogs does not guarantee a better performance among EFL learners regarding reading comprehension. Thus, they should create a language learning environment in which they encourage students to read in the target language to enhance their reading comprehension.

Keywords:

• English as a foreign language
• reading comprehension
• blogs

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the journal editors and the reviewers whose recommendations, ideas, and insights were essential for the final draft of this article. The authors also thank the students who participated in the study.

Notes on contributors

Ayşe Didem Yakut is an MA candidate at the Department of English Language Teaching of Graduate School of Social Sciences at Balikesir University. She also teaches English at the School of Foreign Languages at Balikesir University, Turkey.

Selami Aydın (Ph.D.) is an associate professor at the Department of English Language Teaching of Necatibey Education Faculty at Balikesir University, Turkey. He researches on EFL writing, testing, affective states, technology use, and social media effects on language learning and teaching processes. Currently, he teaches ELT courses for preservice EFL teachers.