Title: Evaluating the use of wikis for EFL: a case study of an undergraduate English writing course in China

Authors: Zhinong Sun; Xu Qiu

Addresses: School of Foreign Languages, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 West Changjiang Road, Hefei 230036, China ' School of Foreign Languages, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 West Changjiang Road, Hefei 230036, China

Abstract: This study aims at examining the effectiveness of applying wikis in tertiary-level English as a foreign language (EFL) classes. The use of wikis in English for specific purposes (ESP) course - Business English Writing - by undergraduate students in a university in China was investigated through data analysis of test results as well as interviews. Performance results on Business English Certificates (BEC) preliminary (pre-test) and BEC vantage (post-test) revealed that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group in writing in the post-test. Interviews showed that students held a rather positive view towards the use of wikis in the ESP writing class and they favoured the tool mainly for its effect of enhancing their learning motivation and its function for collaborative learning. Still, a few students were not accustomed to this type of e-learning for varied reasons. Implications of the results are that wikis can benefit EFL learners by improving their writing skills in a collaborative environment.

Keywords: English as a foreign language; EFL; English for specific purposes; ESP; wikis; undergraduate courses; English writing course; collaborative learning; China; higher education; writing skills.

DOI: 10.1504/IJITM.2014.059146

International Journal of Information Technology and Management, 2014 Vol.13 No.1, pp.3 - 14

Received: 06 Nov 2012
Accepted: 16 May 2013
Published online: 10 May 2014 *

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