Investigating the Role of Identity in Writing Using Electronic Bulletin Boards

Abstract

Recent research has focused on the relationship between language and identity (Ivanic, 1998; Kanno & Norton, 2003). International students who come to Canada to learn English as a second language realize that to succeed in the academic community, they must be particularly adept at writing in English for academic purposes. This article addresses how using WebCT's electronic bulletin board to improve writing in English offers students opportunities for the development of student identities in ways that are not as prevalent in the traditional face-to-face classroom. More specifically, this article argues that the monologic and dialogic writing tasks that occur on the electronic bulletin board have important implications for student participation, motivation, and inter-cultural awareness.