Writing for Publishing: The Web Publications for Composition Classes

Journa1 of Nationa1 Taiwan Norma1 U凶versi句:Humamty and Socia1 Science 1998, 43(1), 27-46

Writing for Publishing:

The Web PubJications for Composition Classes

Chih -cheng Lin Depar恤entof English National Taiwan Normal University

Abstract

Motivation in a composition class serves an important factor of which the teacher can take advantage in order to change the students'attitudes toward writing. Integrative motivation (Brown, 1994a; Gardner, 1985; Lambert, 1972) and intrinsic motivation (Brown, 1990; Crookes and Schmidt, 1991; Maslow, 1970; Ramage, 1990) in language learning are suggested to help leamers acquire higher language proficiency and to have better learning outcomes. Likewise, in a composition c1ass, students would improve in a greater and faster pace when they are motivated integratively and intrinsically. This paper proposes 出at pub1ishing on the Web motivate students in a ∞mposition class to finish a m缸1-ageable, assigned task with enthusiasm. Furthermore, through such an assignment, students not on1y learn how tocompose an article but alsoenjoy writing more and better articles.

Keywords: ESL/EFL Writing, Motivation, CALL

Introduction

One of the di証iculties in condllcting a writing class is that students seldom feel excited about writing assignments (personal survey). Reasons vary. It could b巳 that the topic is not interesting to dents because it is not the right topic that the stu-dents want to explore. Or, the task assigned is not suitable for the students because it could be either too easy or too difficult for them to write or to comment. Even thOllgh the teacher chooses an in-teresting topic and assignsan appropriate t品k， stu-dents still complain about the' frequen句 of the as-signments and the immediate deadline of the up-coming assignment. How to make students exited about the assignments or how to make them moti-vated enough to complete the assignments, then, is

one of key issues in a composition class for teach-ers as well as students.

This paper proposes that publishing on the World Wide Web (the Web) serve as one of the motivational factors for students in a composition class to complete a particular task assigned. It first discusses various distinctions of motivation in lan-guage learning and its implementation in a writing class. Then it addresses related issues in ESL/EFL

wr詞時， regarding publishing student worb可 on the Web.~e process of accomplishing the whole task is finally described. It includes choosing the topic, setting the deadlines

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1. An early version of this paper, Online publications for composition classes, was presented in the Fifth Conference of English Teaching/Research and Computer Information, Sep. 20, 1997, National Cheng Chi University, Taiwan.