ICT-enabled informal learning in EFL writing

Abstract

With the advancement and popularity of information and communication technologies (ICT), English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) students do have now access and opportunities to interact with a wide range of learning sources and resources in online informal spaces to develop their writing beyond the classroom. Yet, research addressing the potential of ICT-enabled informal learning has attracted insufficient attention in EFL writing. This study explores undergraduate students’ online informal writing practices and the extent to which they are adopted for formal writing purposes. A survey with both closed-ended and open-ended questions and semi-structured interviews were employed to collect data from English-major students (N = 118) at an Omani university. The results indicate that students resorted to various digital technologies not only to help them communicate effectively on online informal platforms but also to navigate the requirements of classroom-based writing. Furthermore, translation and proofreading applications were rated as the most frequently used and useful tools in both contexts, suggesting EFL students’ concern with linguistic aspects of their writing. However, while students relied mostly on synchronous platforms to engage in informal writing activities, they consulted asynchronous tools to resolve formal writing problems. The paper ends with a discussion of pedagogical implications and directions for future research.