The Effectiveness of Dialogue Journal Writing on the Writing Ability of Japanese Learners of English

This study observed the effects of dialogue journal writing (DJW) as a tool for enhancing writing proficiency of Japanese learners of English.The research compared the effects of DJW and error-corrected feedback (ECF) on two intact classes of first year English learners at a Japanese university.Subjects sat a pre-and post-test in which they were required to write an essay.Scores within groups and between tests were evaluated then compared between groups.Results indicated that learners who adopted DJW did show significant improvements in overall writing ability, however there were no significant improvements in vocabulary usage.Participants in the ECF group showed significant gains in overall writing ability, and some significant changes in vocabulary usage.This research found that DJW proved to be more effective than ECF for improving overall writing ability, but ECF proved to be more effective for improving vocabulary usage among Japanese learners of English.