There are several reasons to use blogs with ESL students. According to Lori Langer de Ramirez in Empower English Learners with Tools, blogs can be used for:
- Class debates
- Poetry collections
- Creative writing
- Novel or story reviews
- Commenting on essential questions
- Responding to photos of art, historical figures, and audio files of music or speeches
- A detective or suspense short story in installments (meaning different blog posts build on the story over time)
- Group discussions
- Writing journals or diaries
Students can practice reading and writing as they write blog posts and comment on other's posts. They can also practice speaking and listening if audio or video files are part of the blog they are viewing or creating. Blogs can be great practice for all four language domains!
One last feature of blogs that makes them a great tool for ESL students is that blog posts can serve as a sort of writing portfolio, whereby students can look back over earlier posts and see their growth in writing. Students also love being able to use technology and being independent in creating something of their own.
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