Abstract:

Based on our experience in EFL teaching, though a relatively short one, we have found that students – majoring in English language at Constantine University – are often less enthusiastic about composing in English in conventional classrooms. They find such a task rather boring and challenging for them, for example, lack the information required to enrich their essays with substantive details or they lack motivation to compose at all. This paper discusses a seemingly workable solution that could yield favourable results by encouraging students ‘to plunge into’ online environments where exciting opportunities for composing and exchanging with wider audiences exist. Taking advantage of the easiness of online publishing, teachers may guide their students to keep blogs, create free wiki pages, post comments on social networking sites and write emails or chat to help practice their English with real people and in real situations. Nonetheless, in order to achieve positive results, students as well as their teachers need a certain level of computer literacy.

Keywords:

EFL writing, computer literacy, blogs, wikis, Global Information Technology Report 2013.