An Investigation of the Use of Wikis in English Language Learning

This paper presents a study exploring the efficacy of Wikis in an online language exchange program involving a purposeful sample of university students from China and the UK. The article first provides a brief overview of the use of Web 2.0 applications in language education. It then specifically addresses the potential advantages of using Wikispaces in second language acquisition, particularly in tasks designed for the purpose of collaborative learning. Research methods employed in the study included questionnaire, interview and analysis of textual input on Wikis. Participants were students from two partner universities in China and the UK, who communicated with each other in English and Chinese to discuss curriculum-based topics posted to the China-UK Wikispaces. The results demonstrate that tasks designed for Wikis offer students constructive opportunities to communicate with each other and develop their language proficiencies. The findings also indicate that the informed involvement of language tutors in selecting topics and designing tasks is instrumental in effectively facilitating and further enhancing students’ experiences of collaborative learning on Wikis.

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