The Effects of Weblog Task Reading Activities on English Learners’ Reading Ability
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70232/jtal.v2i2.37Keywords:
Weblogs, Reading Skills, Advanced Language Learners, Foreign Language LearnersAbstract
In the current digital era, various materials are taken into action to enhance language learners’ skills, especially reading skills. Among these materials, weblogs have attracted increasing attention due to their ability to provide authentic reading experiences and interactive learning opportunities for language learners. While there is a wide range of research on the benefits of weblogs in language learning, a gap in understanding their differential impact on learners of varying proficiency levels is felt. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of weblog reading tasks on the reading abilities of advanced and intermediate English language learners. Willing to cover this missed point, this study aims to show the effectiveness of weblog reading tasks in improving the reading skills of both advanced and intermediate-level learners. A quasi-experimental design was employed involving 84 English language learners at a private language institute in Iran. Reading proficiency was measured through pre-test and post-test assessments administered before and after a four-week instructional period. The collected data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and independent-samples t-tests. The findings revealed that weblog tasks significantly improved the reading skills of advanced learners, while these tasks did not significantly enhance the reading performance of intermediate learners. Furthermore, both journalistic and scientific weblog reading tasks contributed to the improvement of advanced learners’ reading performance, with scientific weblog tasks producing slightly greater gains. This study can make contributions to the literature by highlighting the potential of weblog reading tasks to enhance advanced learners’ reading skills. The findings suggest that the effectiveness of weblog-based reading activities may depend on learners’ proficiency levels and their ability to engage with authentic online content. The study highlights the pedagogical value of weblogs as supplementary reading resources for advanced learners and points to the need for further research to develop more effective weblog-based interventions for intermediate learners.
References
Abdullah, H. M. A. (2016). Weblogs for developing English academic reading skills of pre-master students. CDELT Occasional Papers in the Development of English Education, 61(1), 37–62. https://doi.org/10.21608/OPDE.2016.86126
Arani, J. A. (2020). Teaching reading and writing through a web-based communicative medium: Weblog. International Journal of Internet Education, 19(1), 5–15. https://doi.org/10.21608/IJIE.2020.148711
Ardhian, T., Ummah, I., Anafiah, S., & Rachmadtullah, R. (2020). Reading and critical thinking techniques on understanding reading skills for early grade students in elementary school. International Journal of Instruction, 13(2), 107–118. https://doi.org/10.29333/iji.2020.1328a
Chen, X., Ma, J., Wei, J., & Yang, S. (2021). The role of perceived integration in WeChat usages for seeking information and sharing comments: A social capital perspective. Information & Management, 58(1), Article 103280. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.IM.2020.103280
Fong, C. J., Kim, Y., Davis, C. W., Hoang, T., & Kim, Y. W. (2017). A meta-analysis on critical thinking and community college student achievement. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 26, 71–83. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TSC.2017.06.002
Grabe, W., & Stoller, F. L. (2019). Teaching and researching reading (3rd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315726274
Hsu, H. Y., & Wang, S. (2010). The impact of using blogs on college students’ reading comprehension and learning motivation. Literacy Research and Instruction, 50(1), 68–88. https://doi.org/10.1080/19388070903509177
Koçoğlu, Z. (2009). Weblog use in EFL writing class. Ankara University Journal of Faculty of Educational Sciences, 42(1), 311–328. https://doi.org/10.1501/EGIFAK_0000001149
Lee, K., Ardeshiri, M., & Cummins, J. (2016). A computer-assisted multiliteracies programme as an alternative approach to EFL instruction. Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 25(5), 595–612. https://doi.org/10.1080/1475939X.2015.1118403
Lin, X., Tang, W., Ma, W., Liu, Y., & Ding, F. (2023). The impact of media diversity and cognitive style on learning experience in programming video lecture: A brainwave analysis. Education and Information Technologies, 28(8), 10617–10637. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11608-9
Lin, Y. (2020). Effects of Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) peer review in an EFL writing course. International Journal of English Linguistics, 10(6), 417. https://doi.org/10.5539/IJEL.V10N6P417
Ni, X., Xue, G. R., Ling, X., Yu, Y., & Yang, Q. (2007). Exploring in the weblog space by detecting informative and affective articles. 16th International World Wide Web Conference, WWW2007, 281–290. https://doi.org/10.1145/1242572.1242611
Nilsook, P., & Sriwongkol, T. (2009). The development of multi-weblog with knowledge management for Thailand’s higher education. 2009 International Conference on Information and Multimedia Technology, ICIMT 2009, 315–318. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICIMT.2009.107
Phung, H., Tran, N., & Hoang, D. (2023). Empowering students with authentic tasks to learn English beyond the classroom: a club-based model. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 17(2), 191–201. https://doi.org/10.1080/17501229.2021.1998068
Plano Clark, V. L. (2017). Mixed methods research. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 12(3), 305–306. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2016.1262619
Rivera, M., & Bacus, R. (2023). Collaborative Weblog-Based (CWB) project approach in developing language learners’ writing performance. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 22(3), 175–191. https://doi.org/10.26803/IJLTER.22.3.11
Schulze, M., & Heift, T. (2012). Intelligent CALL. In M. Thomas, H. Reinders, & M. Warschauer (Eds.), Contemporary computer-assisted language learning (pp. 249–265). Bloomsbury Academic. https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/contemporary-computerassisted-language-learning-9781441113009/
Setiawan, A. E., Basri, M., & Baa, S. (2024). Web-blog in teaching and learning reading comprehension at Indonesian higher education (A case study of the fourth semester students’ of Muhammadiyah University of Makassar). Klasikal : Journal of Education, Language Teaching and Science, 6(1), 79–87. https://doi.org/10.52208/klasikal.v6i1.1127
Al-Shaboul, D. I. A., Kalsoom, D. T., Alshraah, D. S. M., & Khasawneh, D. M. A. S. (2023). Students’ perceptions on the effects of blogging sites in enhancing their motivation for foreign languages writing and reading proficiency. Migration Letters, 20(S12), 157–168. https://doi.org/10.59670/ml.v20iS12.5869
Spache, G. (1953). A new readability formula for primary-grade reading materials. The Elementary School Journal, 53(7), 410–413. https://doi.org/10.1086/458513
Timotheou, S., Miliou, O., Dimitriadis, Y., Sobrino, S. V., Giannoutsou, N., Cachia, R., Monés, A. M., & Ioannou, A. (2023). Impacts of digital technologies on education and factors influencing schools’ digital capacity and transformation: A literature review. Education and Information Technologies, 28(6), 6695–6726. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11431-8
Toffoli, D., Sockett, G. & Kusyk, M. (2023). Language learning and leisure: informal language learning in the digital age. De Gruyter Mouton. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110752441
Wang, Q., & Mousavi, A. (2023). Which log variables significantly predict academic achievement? A systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Educational Technology, 54(1), 142–191. https://doi.org/10.1111/BJET.13282
Wang, Y. M., & Chiou, C. C. (2022). Empirically examining the effectiveness of teaching blogs on university course instruction. SAGE Open, 12(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221104782
Wang, Y., Pan, Z., & Wang, M. (2023). The moderating effect of participation in online learning activities and perceived importance of online learning on EFL teachers’ teaching ability. Heliyon, 9(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13890
Xu, R., Wang, Q., & Zhou, L. (2021). Evaluate the use of blog sites in the language teaching and learning. Journal of Contemporary Educational Research, 5(12), 195–199. https://doi.org/10.26689/JCER.V5I12.2870
Zhao, Y., & Lai, C. (2023). Technology and second language learning: Promises and problems. In Technology-mediated learning environments for young English learners: Connections in and out of school (pp. 167–205). https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003418009-8
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Lamya Hajihasankhansary
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
