Giving feedback on journals

While journal writing has become an increasingly important tool in both language learning and teacher training, how to use journals most effectively is still unclear. Looking at a language and study skills support course for an MA in Applied Linguistics in Thailand, this paper treats journals as a dialogue between tutors and participants, and focuses on how tutors can give useful feedback on participants' journals. Through analysing journals and tutors' comments in response to journals, and from interviewing participants about the usefulness of the tutors' comments, it was found that participants greatly preferred comments referring to specific points in their journals, rather than a list of general comments at the end. Tutor comments which give suggestions, evaluate positively, add information, or support the participants, were also regarded as useful - possibly because such comments can promote trust, and build relationships between tutors and participants.