Abstract
Web writing has gradually been incorporated into second language classrooms, such as CACD (Computer Assisted Communication Devices), e-mail, Web authoring, and chat sites. Lately, as blogs and Social Networking Services (SNS) have become popular among many people for sharing information, jotting down their own thoughts and opinions, and getting messages across to each other, these devices also have been integrated into second language classrooms by many researchers and teachers as effective tools to encourage students to improve their English proficiency. Few classrooms have yet been examined, however, about whether learners' English skills actually developed in the classroom using such devices. This research examined the effects of Social Networking Service and blogging on students' writing fluency. Though writing fluency is multi-facet concept, it can be measured in terms of vocabulary, considering the fact that vocabulary accounts for large amount of variance in learners' writing performance. In this study, the writing fluency was measured by free active vocabulary gauged by lexical quantity and quality. Lexical quantity and quality were calculated by amount of tokens and types students wrote, and Lexical Frequency Profile (LFP), respectively. Twenty first-year university students in Japan registered in SNS and wrote blogs relatively freely for around several months in one semester. Results showed the slight growth of vocabulary quality over several months in one semester. Based on the results, relationships between lexical quantity and quality are discussed and effectiveness of free writing instruction and blog writing teaching in second language classroom are argued.
