Volume 24 Issue 3
Winter 2017

Learning Learning

Can Diary Exchange Lead Students to Become Engaged in English Writing?
Takeshi Ishikawa
International Christian University
Abstract
This study attempts to investigate to what extent writing an exchange diary on a regular basis influences
English language learners’ motivation, attitudes, and habits. This action research took place in auniversity writing class in Japan that met twice a week. In the first class of the week, after being
randomly paired up with a partner, students wrote a diary entry out of class that included questions forthe partner. In the following class, they exchanged diaries, then took home the partner’s diary and wrote
an entry that answered the questions. In the next class, they returned the diary to its owner. This seriesof procedures was called “one boomerang” and was the minimum weekly work assigned to each pair.
The boomerang procedure was repeated for a period of three months. The teacher maintained the roleof facilitator and did not intervene in the content of each diary entry. Data were gathered through twoquestionnaires with free comments. The results indicate that the diary exchange contributed to theincreased enjoyment and speed with which students wrote in English. Although the average motivationlevel towards writing in English did not show any great quantitative jump, most of the students reported
favorably about diary exchange in their comments.

2

8

1

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1

1

8

0
8

8

8
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Keywords: diary exchange, learning strategy training, writing habits, learner development,

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Volume 24 Issue 3
Winter 2017Though students recognize that English is an important communication tool, many still approach
English as a code to be deciphered, by analyzing the language and learning pattern sentences byrote. Fiercely competitive entrance exams and pervasive grammar-translation teaching practices
have only contributed to this mindset. It is not surprising that few students read English for pleasureand even fewer write English outside the classroom. As of 2020, Japan will start English classes in third
grade elementary school and make English a compulsory subject for fifth graders. I truly hope that thiswill create opportunities for educators to re-examine how English is taught in schools. Perhaps students
will come to a better understanding of English not only as a communication tool, but also as a vehicle ofdiscovery so that, rather than studying English for its own sake, they can use English to discover andexpand on their own interests and connect those interests with others’. This kind of meaningful learning
is an important principle of learner-interest driven language learning and teaching. It is crucial to“capitalize on the power of meaningful learning by appealing to students’ interests” (Brown, 2001, p. 57).
Brown also stresses the significance of risk-taking, mentioning that “successful language learners…mustbe willing to become ‘gamblers’ in the game of language” (p. 63). When developing productive skills
such as speaking and writing, making mistakes is inevitable. Naturally, students do not usually want tomake mistakes, but if the activity is related to what interests them, they might be able to get over theirunwillingness to take risks.
Overcoming this reluctance provides opportunities for students to engage in skill building. Nuttal (1996)
emphasizes the importance of building these skills, particularly reading skills to avoid the vicious circle
where those who are poor at reading are not willing to read much, and because they do not read, they do
not find reading enjoyable. Day and Bamford (1998) claim that you improve your reading skills only
through actual reading where you learn various pieces of knowledge prerequisite to be a fluent reader.
The same could be said for writing. Teachers should help students escape from the cycle where the lessthey write, the less they are able to write. The key seems to be encouraging students to write whatever
they want to write. This is where the activity of diary exchange comes in. In a diary exchange, students
can write whatever they want to write. Furthermore, students interact with peers of the same age andwho share similar interests. Unlike conventional writing assignments, diary exchange provides students
with more incentives to write in English.
In addition, diary writing is an effective learning strategy. Unfortunately, it is also an underutilized one.
Defined as “a range of specific learning techniques that make learning more effective” (Dörnyei, 2001, p.
95), learning strategy training “aims to make everyone more capable of independent learning”(Dickinson, 1992, p. 13). Learning autonomously is important for success in language acquisition
because the amount of time students can spend in the classroom is limited. Research indicates a close
relationship between the amount of teacher support for student autonomy and an increase in student
autonomy (see Noels, Clemet, & Pelletier, 1999). One challenge for teachers is to provide students
chances to try various learning strategies so that they can choose from them some that they want toadopt or adapt for future learning. However, there is some disagreement among researchers about theeffectiveness of learner strategy training. Some say that there exists no verifiable evidence that awarenessof strategies promotes L2 learning success (see Rees-Miller, 1993). There is no promise that students willcontinue using a certain learning strategy, as in this case of writing a diary, because there is no definitive
strategy that fits everyone. What teachers can do is to help students widen their repertoire of learning
strategies. Macaro (2006) suggests that “successful learning is…linked…to his or her orchestration of

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Winter 2017

strategies available to him or her” (Macaro, 2006, p. 332) and that “strategies do not make learning more
efficient; they are the raw material without which L2 learning cannot take place” (op. cit.).
Specifically for writing, Ward’s (2004) blog project in a writing/reading class at an American university
revealed that the use of blogs contributed to the increased interest of students in reading and writing.
The feedback from students was mostly positive, saying that writing a blog assisted their learning.
Pinkman’s (2005) qualitative study using blogs in an integrated skills class at a Japanese university
showed that 7 out 15 learners admitted that the project improved their writing skills, saying the project
prompted them to use new vocabulary. Students in Pinkman’s study reported that they liked the activity
so much they wanted to continue blogging. More than half of the participants found the comments fromclassmates and the teacher motivating.
In the current study, I incorporated a learner training approach featuring diary exchange, with the hopethat students would feel that the more they wrote, the more they would want to write, and that theywould adopt English writing for their learning. In order to give them the maximum autonomy, I avoided
any intervention on the content of the dairy entries that they wrote. As diary exchange, compared withconventional writing exercises, requires another person, I thought that peer pressure through being
required to exchange their diary entries would work positively and encourage the students to become
more engaged in writing in English.
Learning from students’ perceptions of diary exchanges
When explaining Galileo’s law of inertia, people often give an example of a running train. Passengers on
a train continue to move in the same direction unless they are acted upon by an external force. What I
hoped to make happen in the classroom runs along the same line: The teacher gets the class in the moodfor diary exchange and creates a sense of camaraderie. As the diary exchange activity gains momentum,
students will get so used to it that they have it ingrained in them to the extent of feeling awkward
without it. With the help of positive peer pressure, a virtuous circle is formed, and students will keepexchanging diaries involving each other in a reiterative, self-propagating process. In other words, I
wanted to know if it was possible to attain something as hard as making students write for three months,
and if the completion of the activity would consequently change students’ perspectives about writing.
This study was conducted at a university in a Japanese metropolitan area. The participants consisted of
22 freshmen (7 males and 15 females) enrolled in an English writing class that met twice a week. In thefirst class, I gave the students a questionnaire consisting of five Likert-scale items intended to probe theirmotivation, attitudes, and habits of English learning (see Appendix A) in order to know to what degree
students enjoy writing as well as what attitudes, habits of or preoccupations with writing prevent themfrom experiencing the fun of writing. The students were asked to get hold of an A4 size notebook andbring it to the following class. In the second class, I explained the procedures of diary exchange before
the students wrote a diary entry (at least one fourth of a page) in their own notebook with somequestions for their partner. In the next class, they exchanged notebooks, took their partner’s questions
back home, and wrote another diary entry, but this time in their partner’s notebook and with answers to
the questions. I told the students that it was okay to write about anything ranging from what they did atuniversity, their favorite pastime, childhood memories, to their dreams. A single exchange was called“one boomerang”: Student A writes a diary entry, hands it to Student B, who returns it like a boomerangto Student A. I assured the class that it was not the content of the entry that counted but the number of
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Learning Learning

diary entries that would contribute toward their final grade. The crucial thing for me was to make surethe students understood the importance and enjoyment of expressing themselves in English and thatthey did not have to be afraid of making mistakes.
From there on, in the first class of each week, the students were paired up using playing cards, and thepairs sat next to each other for occasional collaboration. These pairs lasted until the following week,
when pairs were re-shuffled. At the beginning of every class, I had the students open the newest page of
their A4 notebook so that I could simply and quickly check if they had an entry (no error correction orcomments were made). Finally, at the end of the course, the initial questionnaire was re-administered. I
also asked the students to count the number of diary entries (both their own entries and their partner’s).
Exploring student responses about diary entries
Quantitatively, an independent t-test was conducted to compare the students’ English writing
motivation, attitudes, and habits. Results showed a slight, non-significant, difference from Survey 1(M=3.04, SD=0.89) to Survey 2 (M=3.22, SD=0.92), as shown in Table 1.
Table 1. Changes in Student Motivation (Survey Question 3: “I like writing in English”)

Survey 1

N

Mean

SD

22

3.04

0.89

t
0.78 (p = 0.444)

Survey 2

22

3.22

0.92

In contrast, students’ writing habits (see Table 2 below) revealed significant difference from Survey 1(M=2.14, SD=1.04) to Survey 2 (M=2.82, SD=0.92). This finding featured a medium effect size
(d=0.70).
Table 2.

Changes in Student Writing Habits (Survey Question 6: “Writing in English
takes me a lot of time”)
N

Mean

SD

Survey 1

22

2.14

1.04

Survey 2

22

2.82

0.92

t
2.32 (p = 0.025)

By analyzing the students’ responses to the first questionnaire, with the aim of understanding what
habits prevent students from experiencing the fun of writing in English, I was able to identify somecommon perceptions across the class. First, even though all the students to some extent admitted thatwriting in English is a good way to improve English skills (Strongly agree 55%, Agree 40%, Slightly agree5%), 64% of the students more or less thought that writing in English is something they should do after
building vocabulary and improving grammar skills (Strongly agree 5%, Agree 36%, Slightly agree 23%). In
other words, they had put off doing what they believed they should do. Second, 77% of the students said
that when writing in English, they first think of a Japanese sentence and translate it into English (VeryDIARY EXCHANGESHORT RESEARCH ARTICLE |50

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Volume 24 Issue 3
Winter 2017often 14%, Often 41%, Sometimes 22%), and 86% of the students agreed that writing English takes a lot oftime to a greater or lesser degree (Strongly agree 32%, Agree 36%, Slightly agree 18%). At the start of thediary exchange, they seemed to be unable to kick the ingrained habit of a word-by-word translation,
which naturally hinders them from writing fast, let alone having a positive image toward writing.
Changes in the students
Qualitatively, the majority of the students had favorable reactions toward their experiences with the diaryexchange. A number of students noted that the diary exchange helped them think in a different way
about communicating in English. Satoshi (all names are pseudonyms) commented, for example, that herealized the benefits of using common expressions in writing:“What has changed after this activity is that English phrases pop up in my mind more often than before.
Rather than translating Japanese sentences into English, I think it is better to use common English
expressions even if the intended meaning changes a little bit.” - Satoshi
Other students observed that, in addition to thinking differently, they enjoyed the interaction with peersthat the diary exchange facilitated:“I believe that writing in English is a good way to nurture the ability to think in English. However,unless you brush up vocabulary through extensive reading, it does not have enough effect because you tend
to write the same things again and again. So, it is important to gain a lot of input and use it when
outputting …What was good about this activity was that I was able to get to know my partners. It often
happened that conversations with them followed a lively course after the exchange of diaries” - Ryuichi“I liked it that with this diary exchange, I had an opportunity to write what I usually do not share withothers. Thanks to this activity, I was able to improve my writing skills while having fun of learning about
new aspects of my classmates. - Maiko“It was a lot of fun to write a diary. Talking about what happened during the day and my favorite things
helped me be on good terms with my classmates. This activity has given me not only a chance to review
English grammar but also a chance to check out ordinary English expressions and use them. - Ai
These comments reveal how the diary exchange contributed to the affective aspects of their writing, withthe power of camaraderie being the driving force of their completion of this activity.
Some explained what was happening while writing from a metacognitive standpoint, which shows thatthey had started looking at writing from new perspectives:“What I think is good about writing a diary is that you can visualize what you are thinking. If you
understand what weaknesses you have, you can work on them. Whenever I did not know how to saysomething in English, I looked it up in my dictionary, which led to expanded knowledge. Every time myhand stops, I know it is a sign of my inability to express it in English, which is really educational.
Unlike a conversation, there is no interlocutor in front of me, so I can write at my own pace. At first,
filling out one-fourth of a page was not easy, but after a while, it became easier to write. I find it a goodthing that whenever I read what I have written before, I can feel my growth as a writer.” - Hinako

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“At first I was worried that I might not be able to continue writing a diary in English because I hadn’t
even written a diary in Japanese. But to my surprise, after starting to do it, I found my pen moving moresmoothly than I expected. By occasionally consulting my dictionary, I was able to learn expressions that I
had not used before. I am happy that I have acquired a habit of writing English.” - Atsushi
Overall, many of the students recognized the benefits to this kind of interactive exchange between
writers and readers. Some even reflected on their performance and wrote about how they had been able
to improve their diary entries:“Initially, I had an awareness that I was not good at writing English, but I gradually got used to it. As
time went by, I found it a lot of fun to write what I am thinking. There are also some things I shouldhave done better. The questions to ask my partners were always basic.” - Yamato
Moving from inertia to engagement
The diary exchange seems to have prompted the students who participated in the class to improve theirwriting fluently to some degree. Furthermore, quite a few students reacted favorably toward this activity.
In the follow-up questionnaire, 95% of students strongly agreed or agreed with the statement “Receiving
feedback on my writing is a positive experience.” All students agreed or strongly agreed with thestatement, “I think keeping a diary in English will help me think in English,” and 86% of students either
agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, “I will try to write in English as often as possible.”
What is worth noting is that nobody dropped out and the average number of diary entries in students’
notebooks during the semester (the combined number of diary entries of both owner and partner) was
25.5. This is surprising, considering the fact that if they completed one boomerang every week, thenumber of diary entries would be 24. By writing what they wanted to write, the students were able to go
beyond their own restricted linguistic resources and became “gamblers” who take chances and are notafraid of making mistakes. I must also unfortunately add, however, that there was one student who was
skeptical about learning writing in the classroom at all, saying that speaking is far more significant thanwriting. This student believed that there will be many more chances to speak rather than write in English
in the future. That said, he reluctantly admitted to the usefulness of exchange diary itself in that he wasable to find out his weaknesses in grammar.
Earlier, I likened this study to the running train used in explaining Galileo’s law of inertia; needless tosay, learning a language is different from physics in that it does not proceed as calculated. The degree towhich students benefit from the same activity differs significantly. Nonetheless, what is important is that
had it not been for this opportunity, some students would probably have graduated from university
without realizing the fun of writing about themselves in their own words in English. From exploring
how these students took to diary writing and diary exchange, I feel even more strongly now that as
writing teachers we should guide English learners to get out of the shell of their preconceived notions
that English is a mere synonym for boring analysis or wearisome word-by-word translation so that theycan engage with expressing themselves enjoyably through writing.

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References
Day, R. R., & Bamford, J. (1998). Extensive reading in the second language classroom. New York: Cambridge
University Press.
Dickinson, L. (1992). Learner autonomy 2: Learner training for language learning. Dublin: Authentik.
Dörnyei, Z. (2001). Motivational strategies in the language classroom. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Macaro, E. (2006). Strategies for language learning and for language use: Revising the theoreticalframework. Modern Language Journal, 90(3), 320-337.
Noels, K. A., Clément, R., & Pelletier, L. G. (1999). Perceptions of teachers’ communicative style andstudents’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Modern Language Journal, 83, 23-34.
Nuttall, C. (1996). Teaching teading skills in a foreign language (2nd ed.). Oxford: Heinemann.
Pinkman, K. (2005). Using blogs in the foreign language classroom: Encouraging learner independence.
The JALT CALL Journal, 1(1), 12-24.
Rees-Miller, J. (1993). A critical appraisal of learner training: Theoretical bases and teaching implications.
TESOL Quarterly, 27(4), 679-689.
Ward, J. M. (2004). Blog assisted language learning (BALL): Push button publishing for the pupils.
TEFL Web Journal, 3(1), 1-16. Retrieved from http://www.teflweb-j.org/v3n1/v3n1.htm

Takeshi Ishikawa teaches at International Christian University. He holds an M.S.Ed. in TESOL
from Temple University. He has written papers on diary exchange, reading aloud training, and e-learning.
His research interests include learner autonomy and learning strategies training.
Author correspondence: ishikawatakeshi@icu.a

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Appendix A English Writing Motivation, Attitudes, and Habits Questionnaire
1. Writing in English is a good way to improve my English skills.
()

8□ Strongly agree□ Agree □ Slightly agree□Disagree□ Strongly disagree

2. Writing in English is something I should do after building vocabulary and improving grammar skills.
(

8

)

8

□ Strongly agree□ Agree □ Slightly agree□Disagree□ Strongly disagree□Disagree□ Strongly disagree

3. I like writing in English.
(

8

)

2

□ Strongly agree□ Agree □ Slightly agree

4. I feel that reading English is a kind of deciphering a code rather than a way to get information.
()

8□ Strongly agree□ Agree □ Slightly agree□Disagree□ Strongly disagree

5. When I read, I move my eyes from left to right, without having my eyes go backward and forward.
()

1□ Very often□ Often□ Sometimes□ Rarely□ Never□Disagree□ Strongly disagree

6. Writing English takes me a lot of time.
(211□ Strongly agree)□ Agree □ Slightly agree

7. When I write in English, I first think of Japanese sentences and then translate them.
()

1□ Very often□ Often□ Sometimes□ Rarely□ Never

8. Receiving feedback on my writing is a positive experience.
(

2

)

8

□ Strongly agree□ Agree □ Slightly agree□Disagree□ Strongly disagree

9. I think keeping a diary in English will help me think in English.
()

8□ Strongly agree□ Agree □ Slightly agree□Disagree□ Strongly disagree

10. I think reading English will help me improve my writing skills.
()

8□ Strongly agree

DIARY EXCHANGE□ Agree □ Slightly agree□Disagree□ Strongly disagree

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11. I will try to write in English as often as possible.
()□ Strongly agree□ Agree □ Slightly agree□Disagree□ Strongly disagree

12. Writing in English is high on my agenda.
()

8□ Strongly agree□ Agree □ Slightly agree □Disagree□ Strongly disagree

13. Please write how you feel about writing in English.
(

8

8

)

LEARNER DEVELOPMENT SIG GRANTS FOR 2018

The Learner Development (LD) SIG offers a variety of grants to support those in thefield of learner development. These grants are particularly targeted to those who are new
to the SIG, new to the field, or who do not have access to institutional funding.
LDSIG)
0
0
LDSIG
1
2
2

Anyone who meets the requirements is welcome to apply. However, we particularly
encourage applications from the following groups of teachers:210§Elementary school teachers/teachers of children ~§Junior high school teachers ~Senior high school teachers ~Language school teachers ~Teachers currently doing graduate studies ~§§§For more details, see http://ld-sig.org/grants/

DIARY EXCHANGESHORT RESEARCH ARTICLE |55