Journals, interviews and questionnaires

     Sometimes teachers need to gather necessary information about their students to know more about them; there are ways and tools in which info can be gathered, such as journals, interviews and questionnaires.  As it is said by the author, the primary use of journals, interviews and questionnaires is in the collection of information about students’ backgrounds and about teaching and learning processes; also these methods can also be used to collect info about second language proficiency. 

Journals (also referred to as interactive diaries or dialogue journals) are written conversations between students and teachers.  Because of their personal-centered nature, journals provide opportunities for students to provide feedback about their learning experiences, and allow students opportunities to express themselves personally about their interests, goals, and desires using the second language.  Some of the benefits that dialogue journals have are:

• ·  They provide useful info for individualizing instruction such as writing skills, writing strategies, students’ experiences in and outside of school, learning processes, interests, expectations, goals, etc.
• ·       They increase opportunities for functional communication between students and teachers.
• ·  They give students opportunities to use language for genuine communication and personalized reading.
• ·   They permit teachers to individualize language teaching by modeling writing skills in their responses to student journals.
• ·         Promote the development of certain writing skills and
• ·         Enhance student involvement in and ownership of learning.

Some guidelines are suggested for using journals, as for example:

• ·         Have separate book for journal writing.
• ·        Set aside regular times, as for example at the end of the class or at the beginning or end of the day.
• ·         Collect students’ journal on a regular basis and read them carefully before returning them.
• ·         Provide direction to students in order to know what you are looking for.
• ·   Allow students time to develop confidence in the process of sharing their personal impressions.
• ·         Help students interpret their own feedback. Among others.

    On the other hand, Interviews and questionnaires are very similar due to the fact that both consist of a set of questions or statements the student is expected to respond to.  It also can be said that both are structural and formal and they are more useful with older learners with more than beginning levels of L₂ proficiency.  The organization of interviews and questionnaires can be a) Linear when all students respond to all questions in the same sequence and b) nonlinear when students may skip certain questions or may asked to respond additional questions.  When constructing Interviews and questionnaires it is important to take into account the amount of thought and time that in put into them, for doing so a general procedure is suggested for the planning and construction of those tools:

• ·         Identify what you want to make and use the information that will be collected.
• ·         Draft questions pertaining to the information you are seeking.
• ·         Organize the questions according to some logical order and revise it.
• ·         Prepare a set of instructions in order to explain the purpose of the questionnaire.
• ·    Ask colleagues who are familiar with these tools to review the questionnaire, among others.

     In conclusion, it can be said that all these tools are useful and important not only for teachers but also for students because it’s a different way to express ideas, expectations, feelings and opinions.  Also, those tools allow teachers to give the necessary assessment based on the known students’ weakness and strengths and needs.