Language Learning & Technology 2025, Volume 29, Issue 1 ISSN 1094-3501 CC BY-NC-ND pp. 1–4 BOOK REVIEW Review of New directions in technology for writing instruction Kai Zhao, Hubei Normal University New directions in technology for writing instruction Gonca Yangın-Ekşi, Sedat Akayoglu, & Leonora Anyango (Eds.) 2022 ISBN: 9783031135392 US $ 137.00 389 pp. Springer Cham, Switzerland With rapid developments in technology, more and more teachers are realizing the importance of integrating technology in writing instruction. However, the effective use of that technology remains problematic for some teachers. To this end, Yangın-Ekşi et al.’s (2022) edited volume explores the ways in which second language (L2) writing teachers can apply online writing tools in their teaching practice. New Directions in Technology for Writing Instruction is divided into three interrelated parts. Part I consists of the first eight chapters, whose authors give particular consideration to the integration of Web 2.0 technologies (e.g., wikis and vlogs) and multimedia tools (e.g. digital storytelling and audio feedback) in language instruction to promote more effective teaching and learning. Part II (Chapters 9 to 13) deals with the influence of technology on academic writing. Finally, in Part III, the authors of the last five chapters investigate how teachers make use of technology to improve their teaching. In the opening chapter, Korkmazgil begins by discussing the teaching-learning circle in genre-based writing (GBW). Next, the author supplies suggestions for utilizing a number of technological tools (e.g., Google Docs, wikis, blogs, and StoryJumper) in GBW tasks. L2 writing teachers may find this chapter particularly helpful because the author illustrates a way to follow a genre-based approach involving student composition of digital stories. In Chapter 2, Kaygisiz also examines the integration of multimodality in face-to-face writing classrooms. The author elaborates on possible affordances of multimodal writing tasks, including affirming learner identity, boosting motivation, encouraging autonomy, and drawing attention to metalanguage. Perhaps the most useful information of the chapter rests in Kaygisiz’s suggestions for modifying the constraints of multimodal writing tasks, which can include students’ inadequate language development, a lack of well- established criteria for assessing multimodal writing tasks, and teachers’ negative attitudes. Kaygisiz’s suggestions are to undertake more empirical studies that may show the impact of multimodal writing tasks on language development, to develop more effective techniques for evaluating multimodal work, and to create recommendations for teachers on how to adopt a positive mindset toward multimodal composing. In Chapter 3, Yas reviews literature published between 2008 and 2022 on wikis in educational contexts. Based on 40 studies obtained through the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) and Google mailto:zk1984@hbnu.edu.cn https://en.hbnu.edu.cn/ 2 Language Learning & Technology Scholar using the keywords, “wikis,” “wiki tools in education,” and “wikis for foreign/second language teaching and learning,” the author determines that various research designs have been employed to investigate the potential of wikis for education. The author also notes that students can reap many benefits from creating wikis, such as experience with collaborative learning, improvement of language skills, motivation, cultural awareness, autonomy, and audience awareness. However, the author highlights several obstacles that may arise when integrating wikis in educational environments. These obstacles include insufficient training, inappropriate content contributions, accidental deletions, and inadequate task planning. In Chapter 4, Asik focuses on the use of digital storytelling for enhancing learners’ writing proficiency. The author provides various recommendations for incorporating digital storytelling into traditional language classrooms. These recommendations include: (a) focusing on the learning outcome, (b) choosing the right digital storytelling tools, (c) selecting tools that both teachers and students are familiar with, and (d) introducing the digital storytelling process. Perhaps the most important contribution of this chapter for English as a second language teachers is the presentation of digital storytelling as both an alternative teaching method and a multimodal task, which can help learners improve their writing skills as well as increase their motivation and interest toward writing. The next two chapters focus on technology-enhanced instructional feedback. In Chapter 5, Kiymaz explores the effectiveness of providing audio feedback on language learners' assignments. Based on a review of 221 studies from 10 databases, Kiymaz reports that pedagogically-sound audio feedback can supply a more comprehensive assessment of written content and foster more personalized learning experiences. Readers may find this chapter enjoyable because Kiymaz concludes with a vivid, detailed description of how to utilize Vocaroo (a free web-based tool). In Chapter 6, Sacasci and Akcor explore the theoretical and practical aspects of screencasting (a video- capture tool that records a user’s screen and audio). Specifically, the authors consider screencasting to be an innovative method for delivering multimodal, technology-enhanced feedback to English as a foreign language (EFL) writers. By reviewing the strengths of screencasting (e.g., it allows for more in-depth and personalized feedback as well as better teacher-student connections) and its weaknesses (e.g., it can be time-consuming and anxiety-provoking), the author argues that the choice of feedback method necessitates thoughtful evaluation of learner attributes and contextual factors. The strength of the chapter likely lies in the author’s suggestions for using screencasting with novice language teachers in second language writing classes. According to Sacasci and Akcor, screencasting can assist novice language teachers in (a) providing feedback, (b) implementing a flipped classroom design, and (c) managing peer feedback sessions. For the last two chapters of Part I, the reader’s attention is turned to the integration of mobile technology in the teaching and learning of writing. In Chapter 7, Ayar details current developments in the use of vlogs in ESL and EFL settings. Based on a review of the literature from the past 10 years, which was pulled from the Scopus and Web of Science databases, Ayar finds that there has been little research on the use of vlogs, particularly in the teaching of writing. The author also notes that researchers have approached the study of productive skills in distinct ways, with some scholars using blogs to examine learners’ writing proficiency and other researchers opting for vlogs to analyze participants' spoken communication. In order to help EFL teachers use vlogs in their classrooms, the author presents a complete lesson plan for reference. In Chapter 8, Yesilel examines the efficacy of mobile-assisted language learning for enhancing second language writing proficiency. Following a nuanced review of research on the influence of mobile technologies on language acquisition, the author introduces a selection of writing applications such as Hemmingway, Writing Challenge, Toontastic, and Storybird. The most illuminating part of this chapter probably rests in the presentation of a sample classroom activity that incorporates SimpleMind Lite, Google Docs, and Grammarly. Part II contains five chapters (Chapter 9 to 13) whose focus is the influence of technology on academic writing. In Chapter 9, Cangir utilizes a data-driven learning approach to discuss how corpora can assist EFL students in academic writing. The author also offers practical examples of using corpora to teach and learn https://vocaroo.com/ https://hemingwayapp.com/ https://www.writingchallengeapp.com/ https://toontastic.withgoogle.com/ https://storybird.com/ https://simplemind.eu/ https://docs.google.com/ https://docs.google.com/ https://www.grammarly.com/ Kai Zhao 3 academic writing. The examples detail the use of concordance lines, collocation information, and clusters of words to help students develop their academic writing skills. As a way of conclusion, the author encourages EFL teachers and learners to follow data-driven learning practices to align with the rationale behind the design of the modern course book. In Chapter 10, Ersanli and Yesilel describe how Automated Writing Evaluation (AWE) can provide essential feedback to students in an efficient manner. The authors identify certain benefits of AWE tools for language teachers (e.g., alleviating teacher workload and saving time) and their students (e.g., improving learner autonomy and increasing their motivation level). Meanwhile, some disadvantages of using these tools are also mentioned, such as the possibility of undermining the social aspect of writing and of offering ambiguous or formulaic feedback. To conclude, the authors suggest that teachers take on the responsibility of offsetting the limitations of AWE feedback by getting involved in the evaluation process and in the improvement of these tools. For Chapter 11, Ozer and Yukselir reviewed a range of studies on the increasing importance of technology integration and digital literacy in the context of second language writing instruction. To this end, the authors covered several topics such as learning management systems, personal learning environments, digital writing tools, student-teacher interaction, and feedback within virtual classrooms. A noteworthy point presented in this chapter is that across contexts, teachers and learners experience similar issues and express similar advantages and disadvantages of integrating technology in writing instruction. In Chapter 12, Yuksel et al. describe how to utilize online, multimodal writing tasks to teach academic writing. To this end, the authors illustrate the way in which the use of digital tools within a Critical Reading and Writing course can involve students in the online learning environment and foster their creative and artistic abilities. Writing teachers may find this chapter very instructive as it outlines the use of innovative digital tools (e.g., Lucidspark, Pixton) in different stages of a writing lesson. Although the first four chapters in Part II document the extensive influence of technology on academic writing, the issue of plagiarism is not neglected, which makes Chapter 13 a crucial component of Part II. Seeing as plagiarism is a prevalent issue in academic settings, Uney urges educational institutions to incorporate comprehensive plagiarism prevention programs in their curricula, beginning with early childhood education and continuing through higher levels of learning. Part III comprises the remaining five chapters, whose authors delve into instructional tools that enhance teaching activities. In Chapter 14, Bal-Gezegin et al. investigate the attitudes of pre-service language teachers around utilizing corpora to provide corrective feedback. The authors conduct a thematic content analysis to interpret the data obtained from teacher responses to an open-ended survey and a focus group interview. According to Bal-Gezegin et al.’s interpretation of the data, three main themes are identified: (a) the benefits of corpus consultation for giving feedback, (b) the challenges of corpus use, and (c) the purpose of corpus use. In line with Conrad’s (2000) recommendations, the authors emphasize the need to supply language teacher candidates with training in the use of corpora. In Chapter 15, Bilki and Irgin report on an investigation involving 35 tertiary-level second language learners who provided peer feedback on their classmates’ blogs during a 14-week writing course. Drawing on Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-phase, inductive thematic analysis of student reflection, the authors combine descriptive codes representing similar topics into four findings, each of which supports the incorporation of blogs in writing courses. The authors conclude that blogging is an efficient method for creating an extended writing community and for fostering a successful peer review culture. L2 writing instructors may find this study inspiring because the authors illustrate the process of building a blog-based writing course through Wordpress (an online writing platform). In Chapter 16, Meri-Yilan explores the potential of online journals to facilitate teacher-student interaction and learner autonomy. The author conducted a mixed-methods analysis of Turkish students’ attitudes toward L2 writing in online journals using email and Penzu (a free online tool for keeping journals). According to Meri-Yilan, data from questionnaires and interviews indicated that keeping online journals is https://lucidspark.com/ https://www.pixton.com/ https://wordpress.com/ http://penzu.com/ 4 Language Learning & Technology an effective way for students to enhance their language learning skills and their interaction with teachers. Meri-Yilan concludes the chapter by suggesting that future research delve deeper into the linguistic and pragmatic aspects of student writing in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of student learning. As a complement to Yas’s theoretical discussion of wikis in Chapter 3, in Chapter 17, Cengiz focuses on their practicality. The author describes a five-week, online writing course where synchronous lessons and PBWiki are used to assist EFL learners in writing cause-effect essays. Despite the positive attitudes of the students toward the effectiveness of the online writing course with wikis, Cengiz describes some challenges, including time management, communication among group members, participation in group work, and the degree of collaboration in using wikis for online writing. Language teachers may find Cengiz’s study quite practical because the sample activity can be adapted for use in individual classrooms. In the last chapter, Zeybek et al. highlight the use of Wattpad (an online writing community) for enhancing students’ academic writing motivation. After describing several features of online writing communities in terms of the type of feedback provided and the collaboration among participants, the authors report on an eight-week quasi-experimental study. Data obtained from use of the Academic Writing Motivation Scale (Payne, 2012) and a semi-structured focus group revealed a significant increase in the motivation of ELT students who used Wattpad. Zeybek et al. conclude the chapter by advising L2 instructors to recognize the value of online writing communities for motivating their students. To sum up, this edited volume presents advanced research on technology-mediated writing. The volume is to be commended on several points. First, the authors highlight many useful digital tools for teaching writing, such as wikis in Chapters 3 and 17, corpora in Chapters 9 and 14, Penzu in Chapter 16, and Wattpad in Chapter 18. Second, this volume includes a variety of sample classroom activities that incorporate digital tools, which writing teachers can apply or adapt to their local context. Lastly, the easy-to-follow writing style of this volume also deserves mention. Numerous concepts related to technology-mediated writing are explained in plain language, making this volume easily accessible to writing instructors and novice researchers. However, the editors could have included studies of other technologies used in L2 writing, such as Google Translate and keystroke logging. Furthermore, an additional round of copyediting could have corrected a few editing errors, such as the misspelling of the word “sPreviously” on page 262. Despite these minor shortcomings, I think the volume serves as a valuable resource for scholars, teachers, and postgraduate students interested in using technology for writing instruction. References Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa Conrad, S. (2000). Will corpus linguistics revolutionize grammar teaching in the 21st century? TESOL Quarterly, 34(3), 548–560. https://doi.org/10.2307/3587743 Payne, A. R. (2012). Development of the academic writing motivation questionnaire [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. University of Georgia. About the Author Kai Zhao is the Assistant Dean of the College of Foreign Studies at Hubei Normal University. His research interests include second language writing, computer-assisted language learning, and discourse analysis. E-mail: zk1984@hbnu.edu.cn https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa https://doi.org/10.2307/3587743 mailto:zk1984@hbnu.edu.cn