Bridging the language and cultural gaps: the use of blogs

Abstract

This article aims to demonstrate how the use of an online journal, a bilingual blog, can contribute to filling in the language and cultural gaps of foreign language learners. This case study focuses on the participation, interaction, motivation, language acquisition, feedback and cultural input improved by students of Spanish as a Foreign Language at the University of Queensland in Australia and students of English as a Foreign Language at the Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in Spain. It demonstrates how this learner-directed instructional context allows intercultural and language exchanges, firstly between participants, as a peer revision exercise and secondly, as collaborative work and a discussion platform in the blog GranCanBrisbaneEspañolEnglish.

Keywords:

• blog
• conscious learning
• collaborative learning
• EFL
• ELE
• intercultural communication

Acknowledgements

We would like to particularly thank the English language instructors and subject colleagues at the Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, María Henríquez Betancor, Carolina Rodríguez Juárez and María Jesús Vera Cazorla, for supporting this online activity with our shared students. We would also like to manifest our gratitude to our students for their outstanding commitment and participation.