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one another. They also do not feel hesitate to write because their writings are responded by their friends, not the teacher.
F. The Dialogue Journal Technique
1. The Overview of the Dialogue Journal Technique
Dialogue journals are similar to personal journals. According to Tompkins in Isabell 2010: 15, personal journals provide a place for students
to record events in their own lives and for them to write about other topics of special interest. These are considered to be the most private type of journal.
The writers do not need to share their journals to others unless they want to do so. The same thought is also described by Palmer et al. in Thohid 2014:
27, Basically, personal journals are journals written without any aim to be read by others; all the things written is for the sake of the writers. However,
the writers may share it if they want to. Usually personal journals provide much personal information about the writer. That is why personal journals are
called diaries in common. Usually, they are kept in a special book closed with a padlock.
The difference between personal journals and dialogue journals is that the personal journals are written for the writers only, while the dialogue
journals are written with the intent to be shared with a teacher or a classmate. The person who receives the journal reads the entry and responds to it. These
journals are interactive and take the form of a conversation. Also, the personal journals are written in the form of stories, while the dialogue
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journals are in the form of conversation. Tompkins in Isabell 2010: 17 argues that most importantly, dialogue journals are an authentic writing
activity and provide the opportunity for real communication between students or between a student and the teacher. In line with this, the dialogue journal is
a written conversation between a teacher and an individual student, which is quite confidential and is on-going writing throughout a whole semester or
school year. It is a student-centered curriculum in which students decide the writing topics Peyton and Reed: 1990.
Dialogue journal writing supports the writing processs by providing an authentic two-way written interaction among writing partners; it can be the
teacher and the student or among two students. This activity can help the students to improve their writing ability because they are allowed to choose
the topics by themselves and write anything about that. They can explain their ideas in more detail and feel comfortable by letting out their emotions during
the writing process. Students do not need to feel anxious with how their partners will respond to their writings because the responses will not be in the
form of correcting mistakes. In dialogue journals, students can write about topics that are
important to them. Sometimes their concerns and interests are personal. Or, journal entries may relate to academic or work-related issues. Students may
write descriptions, narratives, or complaints, as the topic and communicative purpose dictate. Piazza in Isabell 2010: 22 states that much like friends
passing notes to each other, conversational partners take turns sending and
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receiving messages. This kind of activities will bring relaxed atmosphere for the students which results in their wonderful feelings when writing the
dialogue journal. As we know that people will gain better achievement if they do their works in a well and comfortable condition. The dialogue journals are
interactive and able to give some interest and motivation towards the students writing behavior.
As mentioned earlier, the dialogue journals provide a fun atmosphere for the writers. According to Tompkins in Isabell 2010: 23
every time the students write in their dialogue journals, they write informally to the teacher about something of interest or concern, and the teacher writes a
response. Students are in control of the topic choice, and they have the opportunity to take that topic in any direction. By letting the students as the
main component here, hopefully the results of their writings after given the implementation of the dialogue journals will be much better than those before
given the implementation of the dialogue journal. Staton 1987: 77 suggests the list of the responses given by the teach
er towards the students‟ writing as follows.
a. Acknowledge students‟ ideas and encourage them to continue to write
about their interests. b. Support students by complimenting their behavior and schoolwork.
c. Provide new information about topics so that students will want to read your responses.
d. Write less than the students do. e.
Avoid nonspecific comments like “good idea” or “very interesting. f. Ask few questions; instead, encourage students to ask you questions.
Since it can be time-consuming for teachers to respond to every student‟s dialogue journal entry on a daily basis, the teacher can choose to
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respond to the entries on a rotating basis. Perhaps they may respond to one group of students one week and another group the next week.
2. The Benefits of the Dialogue Journal Technique
