Return to search

Group Journaling: Writing as a Social Act for Women Learning English as a Second Language

This study investigates the effects of group journal writing and sharing on women English as a Second Language (ESL) students at the Center for Intensive English Studies (CIES) at The Florida State University (FSU). More specifically, it examines the responses of participants to writing as a social act, with sociocultural implications. Eight women participated in this study; they were women of various ages and ethnic and cultural backgrounds who were studying ESL at CIES. The women met twice a week with the principle investigator and wrote in response to non-academic reflective and creative prompts. After writing each journal entry, the women took turns sharing aloud what they had written. Data were collected through interviews, the field notes of the principle investigator, and the journals themselves. Findings revealed that participants used their journals as a means of self-reflection and analysis. Findings regarding the effects of authentic audience on the writers were also evident in the use of self-scaffolding and scaffolding for the audience by the participants. Meaning-making was found to take place both through the journal writing itself and in the sharing presentations. Finally, it was found that participants perceived greater fulfillment, though not academic worth, in writing socially for an authentic audience than they found writing in the classroom context. / A Thesis submitted to the School of Teacher Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Fall Semester, 2013. / November 5, 2013. / Authentic Audience, ESL, Journal Writing, Sociocultural Theory, Women / Includes bibliographical references. / Rebecca Galeano, Professor Directing Thesis; Elizabeth Jakubowski, Committee Member; Lawrence C. Scharmann, Committee Member.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_185112
ContributorsHubbard, Meredith (authoraut), Galeano, Rebecca (professor directing thesis), Jakubowski, Elizabeth (committee member), Scharmann, Lawrence C. (committee member), School of Teacher Education (degree granting department), Florida State University (degree granting institution)
PublisherFlorida State University, Florida State University
Source SetsFlorida State University
LanguageEnglish, English
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeText, text
Format1 online resource, computer, application/pdf
RightsThis Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). The copyright in theses and dissertations completed at Florida State University is held by the students who author them.

Page generated in 0.0015 seconds