This paper reports on a year-long project in which students participated as both readers and writers of blogs. Specifically, this study examines the steps students progress through while reading and writing blogs, students' reactions to blogging, and how self-expression is characterised in the blogosphere. Data from student blogs, reports, and focus group interviews suggest that this project fostered both ownership and creativity; allowed students to experiment with language; facilitated expression in a relaxed environment; and provided students with a window into the target culture that their textbooks did not provide. Finally, we also report on questionnaires that were designed to assess students' reactions to the project. Examples from student projects are discussed.

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The words blog, blogger, blogging, and blogosphere have entered online technological dictionaries in the last decade. Recently, these personal electronic journals have received more attention and their increased popularity has led to their regular use in many different settings including the news, the political arena, and even in education. This article offers an overview of this relatively new technological tool, which serves as a form of micropublishing, and then discusses its potential uses in language classes. Two projects integrating blogs are highlighted and the steps on how to author a blog are outlined.