anxiety level. In fact, teacher-student and student-student interactions can also create a “space” for language production, while the notion of authentic tasks can
determine the amount of language exposure. It should be noted that “the eight
conditions act and interact in different ways in different classroom” Egbert,
Chao, Hanson-Smith 1999: 7. Related to this, studying a specific classroom applying CALL, such as a web-based Sentence Writing class, can be one of the
ways to see how the eight conditions are being met.
3. Teaching Writing Using Web-Based Technology
With the expansion of computer technologies in language learning contexts, more and more teachers apply the technologies in teaching
communicative skills, including writing. Also with the emergence of word processors, the World Wide Web, e-mails, and Internet, teaching writing
advantaging these technologies has been seen as more promising than the traditional classroom. Ferris and Hedgcock 2005 review early studies on
computer-assisted writing instructions, presenting both potential benefits and drawbacks, as seen in Table 2.3 below.
Table 2.3 Potential advantages and disadvantages of computer-assisted writing Ferris Hedgcock 2005: 347
Advantages Disadvantages
1. Increased motivation to revise because of the ease of doing so
2. Greater consciousness of writing as process
3. Quicker, more fluent, less self-conscious writing
4. Increased writing quantity 5. Increased collaboration teacher-student
and student-student in the computer writing lab
6. Greater motivation because writing is easier, more interesting, and more
enjoyable 1. Increased anxiety due to lack of
familiarity with hardware or software 2. Unequal or limited student access to
computers 3. Limited student typing and or word
processing abilities 4. Subversion of individual student
writing processes some prefer pen and paper; some are distracted by writing in
a lab setting 5. Increased student focus on surface
features of texts because corrections are so easy
Teichman Poris, 1989, p.93 Balestri, 1998; Barker, 1987;
Bernhardt et al, 1989, 1990; Bridwell- Bowles et al., 1987; Haas 1989;
Hawisher, 1987
The evidence shows that computer use in teaching writing is potentially strong in improving students‟ attitudes, confidence, and motivation, the aspects which are
mostly essential for L2 learners to master writing successfully. The potential disadvantages as shown in the table above, though, should provide teachers with
the aspects to consider in finding the strategies to answer the challenges of implementing computer-assisted learning for writing.
Advantaging the computer-mediated communication and the World Wide Web, a writing class with the Web delivery system or web-based writing class has
the benefit of more flexible interactions, including the teacher-student and student-student interactions. In that, writing can take place synchronously, i.e.
where students communicate in real time via discussion software on Local Area Networks or Internet chat sites with all participants at their computers at the same
time, as well as asynchronously, that is, where students communicate in a delayed way, such as via email Hyland 2003. This characteristic provides more
opportunities for teacher and students to interact and collaborate in learning, especially to give and get helps and feedbacks. The advantage of web-based
writing class is therefore considered as capable of countering the potential problems of computer-assisted writing that may occur.
An online writing class can take a full form of either synchronous or asynchronous communication. As Ferris and Hedgcock 2005 suggest, the typical
web-based writing class usually has students coming to a traditional classroom or computer lab occasionally for explicit instruction, exams, teacher-student
conferences, and peer response sessions, but carrying out the rest of the course outside a classroom. They also add that the teacher may post all course materials,
such as syllabus, assignments, worksheets, exercises, presentations of material, on the course Web site and interacts with students through e-mail, discussion lists,
real-time chats, and online conferencing. Moreover, teachers can create a “paperless class” using electronic portfolio for submissions p.361. In other
words, students are more engaged with online mediated tasks rather than face-to- face interactions.
4. Web-Based Sentence Writing Class
