Using a dialogue journal

There are many ways to use a dialogue journal. Be creative and adapt the activity to the situation and the learner's needs.

Keeping a dialogue journal can be a practical way to help learners

• develop reading and writing fluency
• improve spelling and handwriting
• understand that writing is a means of communicating, and
• make reading and writing part of everyday life.

Using dialogue journals gives teachers an opportunity to interact with learners on a personal level, if appropriate, or on an academic level. Teachers can

• answer questions asked by the learner
• ask questions that help clarify learners' thinking or stimulate ideas
• get to know more about the learners, their language, and their culture, and
• use the journal as a record of a learner's progress.

Here are some guidelines to follow when you use dialogue journals:

• Be aware that oral societies may resist the use of dialogue journals. It may not make much sense to them to write to someone who is present and can easily be engaged in conversation.
• Be careful that subjects you write about are culturally acceptable.

• Decide whether or not to correct the journal entries of learners.

  • Some people believe that journals should be corrected and are a good place to work on spelling and grammar. Adult learners especially often want their work corrected.
  • Other people believe the teacher should not correct spelling, grammar, or handwriting mistakes, but should model correct spelling or usage in the return entry as part of the reply to the learner and use problem words more than once to reinforce their correct usage.
• Use journals outside of classroom situations on a more personal level.

1. Write a personal message in the journal that is designed to get a response from the learner.

   Examples: Start with a question such as

   • "Have you planted your garden? What do you usually plant?"
   • "What is the next event to celebrate? How will you celebrate it?"
2. Have the learner write a response and return the journal to the teacher to continue the dialogue.

   Variations:

   • Have the class discuss and agree upon a question for the next entry in the journals.
   • Have learners exchange journals and read each other's thoughts and ideas.

   • Instruct learners to make specific kinds of entries in the journals:

     • Questions about classroom material that is unclear.
     • Reactions to specific classroom material or activities.
     • Feelings about the training or other common experiences.
     • A summary of the training or a day's class.
3. Continue to exchange the journal in this way to keep the dialogue going.

• Froese 1991
• Holdaway 1979
• Laubach Literacy Action 1994:107.
• Robson, DeVergilio and DeButts 1990
• Staton and Kreeft-Peyton 1986
• Weaver 1990
• Whisler 1986

• Task module: Using a dialogue journal
• In task module: Developing writing skills
• In task module: Developing literacy skills, by Martha A. Lane (contributor), Delle P. Matthews (contributor), Leah B. Walter (contributor), Glenys Waters (contributor), Anne Klaassens (editor), and Trudy K. Stewart (editor, contributor)
• In task module: Teaching people to read and write, by Carole P. Spaeth (compiler)
• In task module: Implementing a literacy program, by Carole P. Spaeth (compiler)
• In modular book: Implement a literacy program, by Carole P. Spaeth (compiler) and Leah B. Walter (compiler)
• In bookshelf: Literacy

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 4.0, published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 1999. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 2 July 1998

© 1999 SIL International