This essay examines the use of dialogue journals in English classrooms. It is an attempt to synthesise the knowledge contained in texts about dialogue journal writing. After a brief discussion of the literature in the area of journaling, the first section of the essay attempts to synthesise the knowledge theoretically, highlighting four ways in which journals can enrich the classroom. The second section attempts to apply this knowledge to the classroom. I have chosen three different contexts in which I expect to use dialogue journals.
             The most prominent writer about dialogue journaling is Joy Kreeft Peyton. I have not tried to meticulously reference this essay, because it attempts to synthesise and personalise a lot of what I took from Peyton's articles and books. Particularly useful are Peyton and Reed, 1990 and Peyton and Staton, 1992. Research into journal writing in general focuses in two areas. Firstly, its effect on young learners' comprehension or progression in their first language. Although journaling is seen as having a positive effect in general, specific reasons for success have not been isolated. Secondly, literature has focused on the effect of correction of journals on written accuracy, for both native and non-native speakers. It seems that error correction has little effect on student accuracy, even when specific grammatical patterns are targeted.
             A dialogue journal is a written conversation (Peyton & Reed, 1990). It often takes place between a student and a teacher, but it can also take place between students, between teachers, or between a teacher and a mentor. They can be written during class time or outside class. Many teachers offer time at the beginning or end of a class for students to write in a dialogue journal. There are a range of possible formats, but they must be permanently visible to both parties. If the conversation takes place on email, there must be a location where it i...