The reading response e-journal: An alternative way to engage low-achieving EFL students

Abstract

The reading response journal has been valued as an effective tool for involving students in authentic reading and writing activities. As the internet has become an essential medium in today’s English classroom, it is advisable to integrate both the web and the journal when approaching our EFL students. In order to motivate and engage my low-achieving students, I implemented a reading response electronic journal in my freshman English course. This article presents the rationale behind the use of a reading response e-journal in language learning and the context of my instruction. Data collection focused on the participating students’ journal entries and their perceptions of their reading and journal-writing experiences. Findings obtained from data analysis show that my goals for the course design were generally achieved, and that more attempts of such an implementation in EFL classrooms should be endeavored in the future.