Blogs in ESL writing: A study of Saudi university students' perception

This study sought to understand the English Language Institute (ELI) of Jubail Industrial College (JIC) students' perceptions of the use of blogs as additional out-of-class ESL writing activities. It also sought to delineate the ELI students' perceptions of the advantages and drawbacks of using blogs in ESL writing outside class, especially in the light of the mixed pattern of results reported in the literature where some studies reported using blogs was beneficial in ESL writing while others reported they had limitations.;This study had three research questions. What are the ELI students' perceptions of the use of blogs as additional, out-of-class ESL writing activities? What are the students' perceptions of the benefits and advantages of blogs in ESL writing? What are the students' perceptions of the drawbacks and disadvantages of blogs in ESL writing?;The participants in the study were ten Saudi males enrolled in a course called Unlock 3 Reading and Writing in the ELI of JIC in Jubail, Saudi Arabia. The number of participants was sufficient since the findings were not generalized to any intended larger population (Perry, 2011).;To satisfy the principle of triangulation and ensure data reliability, the researcher employed three methods for data collection: a self-devised 18-item questionnaire, individual interviews, and a researcher's journal (Glesne, 2016; Perry, 2011).;The results of this study identified six benefits that resulted from using blogs in ESL writing outside class: (a) collaboration/interaction with classmates outside class, (b) help for shy students in expressing their views, (c) motivation to write, (4) ease of use, (5) less pressure on students because of the informal nature of blogs, and (6) improved writing. In addition, two limitations were also identified: (1) distraction from online ads, games, and chat invitations and (2) the use of impolite language by some bloggers. Thus, the benefits of blogs in ESL writing outweighed the limitations. These positive results were in line with the results of the primary studies of Koc and Koc (2016), Kitchakarn (2012), Grami (2012), Vurdien (2012), Wu and Wu (2011), Wang et al. (2011), and Majid and Adnan (2011).;The researcher provided tips for maximizing the benefits of blogs in ESL writing and minimizing their drawbacks. Finally, he provided some limitations of this present study and offered suggestions for future research.