Effectiveness of CALL Writing Instruction: The Voices of Korean EFL Learners

Abstract

ABSTRACT: In spite of the widespread use of computer‐assisted language learning (CALL) and its perceived facilitative role in second language (L2) learning, there is little data on how learners feel, experience, or think about CALL in the L2 learning context. This study investigated the reactions of Korean students studying English as a Foreign Language (EFL) to computer‐mediated writing instruction. Students participated in a CALL program framed on the process approach to teaching writing. Students selected a writing topic, navigated the Internet to find relevant information, wrote drafts, evaluated peers' essays via e‐mail, and revised their work. Students were also asked to write down everything that they felt, thought about, or experienced during classes in a journal. Analysis of these journals indicated that CALL was a helpful tool for learning writing despite some limitations. Some suggestions for creating better CALL‐based instruction in L2 education are given.