Hamae Tanaka, OWP 1998

First of all, thanks to the instructor and all participants. I had a wonderful time in these four weeks. It was my great pleasure to be granted acceptance in this program. Oregon Writing Project 98 gave me the most wonderful opportunity to learn a variety of methods for teaching writing, and to improve my own writing skills as a teacher of a foreign language in Japan and an English language learner in the United States. I'll never forget the impression of American teachers' enthusiasm about learning I received in this class. They showed me how hard American teachers are trying to interest their students in writing by devising teaching plans, and improving their skills in teaching writing. I was very much encouraged by them not to give up my hope for teaching again in the future.

One of the most interesting areas I would like to explore, improve, and apply in my teaching is the use of computers as a tool in foreign language teaching. This workshop gave me lots of information about the issue. I learned important roles of technology in education. I am now very much interested in using computers in my future classroom.

My implementation in teaching writing would be Computer-Mediated Cross-Cultural Communication by using E-mail Exchanges on the internet in foreign language classrooms. The use of communication technologies in the classroom would be an exciting challenge to me. In Japan, most students start studying English at age of 12, when they enter junior high school. I am excited to learn that CMC would bring an authentic learning environment to involve direct human-to-human communication, because it was hard to give students frequent opportunities to use the foreign language they were learning while I was teaching English as a foreign language in Japan.

Computer-mediated communication (CMC) would greatly help me motivate students for foreign language learning. It would stimulate students' interest in writing in a foreign language by providing opportunities for interpersonal and international communication with native speakers. It would reduce their anxieties about cross-cultural communication by enhancing students' interactions. Obstacles created by cultural differences would be reduced by learning each other's different ways of reflection and contents of the messages.

CMC would facilitate students' thinking, writing and composition skills. Students would also become familiar with computers and word-processors. I would teach my students not only how to write but also what to value and learn for understanding each other from different cultures. The more students exchange messages, the richer their learning circumstances would become. It will foster cultural awareness. Students can learn different ways of seeing the world.

Teaching writing for content learning in a foreign language class by using computers would be very challenging to me. However, the participants' presentations and guest specialists provided diverse perspectives on writing and a variety of methods of teaching writing. For example, brainstorming is a wonderful way of motivation and leading students smoothly to a writing process in student work. It was very valuable for me to experience in the process of pre-writing, peer review, rewriting and revising. I was challenged and inspired by these activities. I hope to use these ideas to make writing activities more interesting to my future students.

Being as a student in the workshop, I renewed my understanding of basics in teaching that making each student an active participant in the lesson. Participation within the learning process is essential and very important to facilitate each student to be successful in writing. It would make each student feel like in control of her or his learning strategies. I would try hard to create a learning community in the classroom when I teach again.

Being a student taught me how I should teach students in the classroom. In particular, my situation as a second language learner helped me a lot to understand how language minority students should feel about their slower performance in the classroom as I did, though I really enjoyed studying with American teachers.

Finally, for the success in CMC, I will keep in mind what Richard Kern says in Telecollaboration in foreign language learning as follows:

Teachers' understanding of both practical and theoretical issues, as well as their ability to integrate computer use with other language activities in a meaningful way will ultimately determine the value of computer-mediated communication in foreign language education. (Warchauer, (Ed.), 1996, p.118)