Student Blogging in Malaysia

Every now and then my Google News search RSS feed for “school weblog” pops something semi-interesting into my aggregator, and today this is what showed up. It’s less about students blogging for educational purposes as it is about bloggers who happen to be students, but there was one part I thought was kind of relevant:

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi recently reminded Malaysians of the importance of mastering a good command of English for better competitiveness on the international stage. Now, more than ever, improving English language skills is high on the agenda.

While English lessons might a be slog during school time, creative writing in the form of a blog can prove to be a promising and interesting way for students to hone their reading and writing skills.

Some bloggers do not actually feel that blogs contribute at all to the development of English skills. Going back to basics, the blogger of Chong Hwa Lifestyle (chonghwa.blogspot.com) points out that there is no teacher to correct grammar and spelling mistakes.

I think I’m going to have to meet with the World Language teachers and get them blogging with their students in French or German or Spanish…Seems like a great way for them to practice their skills.