Electronic Mail in Foreign Language Writing: A Study of Grammatical and Lexical Accuracy, and Quantity of Language

: This article describes an experiment that observed the effects of dialogue journaling through electronic mail on the language produced by learners of Spanish as a second language, compared with the paper‐and‐pencil version of the technique. The authors statistically analyzed the quality and quantity of discourse generated via the electronic and the traditional (i.e., paper‐and‐pencil) medium. The primary objective was to determine whether the use of electronic mail had any effect on grammatical accuracy, appropriate use of vocabulary, and language productivity. In addition, the participants completed a written survey at the end of the semester that elicited their opinions of the program's effectiveness. It was found that the electronic version of dialogue journals had a significantly positive effect on the amount of language generated by the students, and that it improved students' attitude towards learning and practicing the target language. However, the electronic version of dialogue journals did not seem to pose any significant advantage over the paper‐and‐pencil version with regard to lexical and grammatical accuracy.