Arab Educational Information Network

Various researchers such as Mortimer (2001) and Chen (1997) have attempted to define the errors commited by non-native speakers of English in various skills one of which is writing. Abi Samra (2003) is one of the researchers who have tried to uncover the causes for those errors seen in most of EFL students' essays. Such studies have been conducted in order to solve these ongoing problems which hinder students' improvement in essay writing. Instructors like Hutchinson and Waters (1994) have tried to determine adequate methods of teaching writing in an English classroom. Abiding by the writing process has been universal concept agreed upon by most linguists, theorists, and instructors like John Lannon (1992). The writing process is divided into three major parts: the pre-writing (brainstorming and gathering ideas), writing, and re-writing stages (editing and proofreading). Pair work and cooperative learning have been found to enhance students' motivation and improvement in this process (Hamp-Lyons & Heasley, 1995, p.137 ). Due to the advance in technology, new tools such as computers and the Internet have been introduced to traditional classroom environment to improve both teaching methods and learner results. Some individuals , like Paul Seehouse (1994) and Victoria Muehleisen (1997), have concluded that the implementation of the Internet helps improve students' capacity to write. Others, like Heekyong Choi (2001) and Gabriel Tan (1999) have joined pair work to the utilization of the Internet in the writing process. They have found that such a technique succeeds in advancing students' writing skills. Since Choi and Tan's study has been limited to EFL students from Asian backgrounds, this study has applied such a technique to EFL students from a Lebanese background. The results of this study have been acquired through a comparison of the three main techniques: the individual writing process, the pair work writing process, and the collaboration of pair work and the Internet writing process. At the beginning of the study, the three sections were asked to write a control essay. All Three sections have been assigned one topic and have not permitted to use any of the techniques (pair work and Internet research). As fopr the second essay, the three sections were allocated the same topic. One section of grade nine sections (section A) was asked to write the essay after having researched the topic on the Internet in pairs. The second section (section B) was authorized to discuss the topic in pairs before writing individual essays. As for the third section (section C), its students have been asked to write the essay without help of their peers or of the Internet. Later, students of both sections A and B wrote two other essays. Section A made use the pair work and Internet research methodology while section B could only use the pair worktechnique. At the end of the five month period, another common essay was assigned to the three sections. Students wrote individual essays wiothour the employment of any technique. The first, second and final essays have been used to analyze the final progress pf the students involved in the study. The third and fourth essays have been a means to exercise the two techniques qnd evaluate their effects on the students' writings. After comparing the essay reseults of the different sections, it is clear that Choi and Tan's technique far excelled that of the remaining two. (Author's Absract)