Using Dialogue Journals as an Alternative to Traditional Writing Assignments

Abstract

When language students are given a writing assignment, they brainstorm some ideas, organize them, and look for the right language to express them well. Then they take their completed assignments to class and hand them in with confidence, thinking that they did a good job. They wait with anticipation for the return of their assignment, hoping to receive a message from the teacher about how he or she was interested in the ideas. But, most of the time, the teacher returns the paper with a bunch of red marks signaling grammar errors and makes no comment at all about whether or not he or she found it interesting. The student leaves the class disgusted, unhappy with the effort that he or she made, and maybe even unwilling to make the same effort again.