My Dissertation

Discuss your current ideas for your dissertation. What are you thinking about researching? Why? What do you think is the most exciting aspect of the dissertation topic you are most interested in?

"Literacy, in a general sense, cannot be said to cause cognitive or social development; rather literacy and social development are intertwined and co-constructed, as are technologies and society in general" (Warschauer, 2003 p.43).

I agree with Warschuer that as the Internet becomes more widespread, it is highly likely that that its use will be stratified, with some using it principally as an entertainment device and other using it as to seek and create new knowledge. Literacy acquisition, like access to ICT requires a variety of resources. Education also helps determine how people use the Internet and what benefit they achieve from it and people use the Internet for different purposes.

My dissertation’s topic, which I have not narrowed down, is Second Language Literacy Practices Through The Use of The Internet. I want to investigate how language learners of English, particularly, Asian learners, use the Internet differently in relation to second language literacy practices. The Internet provides language learners of English the opportunities to be more exposed to English on the Internet. How they uses these resources relation to their literacy practices is explored in my study. The methodology of the research will be quesitonnaire and in-depth interviews of 8 Asians students in the US who are in the college level.

Implication and relevant ideas

Nowadays, information on the Internet is widespread and easy to acquire for English teachers to use as an “authentic” material in class. However, the teachers may not analyze the use of language on the Internet. My concern is the rhetorical style of writing posted on websites on the Internet is not the same as writing on books or journals.