Conversations of the Mind: The Uses of Journal Writing for Second-Language Learners

Asking students to write journals that reflect on their learning has become a widespread pedagogical practice in recent years. However, the scholarly literature does not address certain key questions about how journal writing aids learning:
* Is there something inherent in journal writing that encourages students to write reflectively?
* What psycholinguistic or cognitive factors help to explain the power of journal writing?
* Why do some students use journals to write prolifically and crea...