Abstract
World Wide Web emerges as a potential language learning resource, which has received much attention over the past decade.  Among numerous technology-enhanced applications, WebQuest has become one of the popular learning models which makes use of Internet resources by engaging students in authentic and collaborative tasks. WebQuests are believed to be theoretically and pedagogically sound for language learning; however, there have not been any studies, which explore the usefulness of WebQuests in EFL contexts. While the use of WebQuests has been widely promoted, a question remained: “Are these tools really applicable for EFL learners?” In this study, we explored characteristics of WebQuests and created a working rubric to critically evaluate WebQuests based on five factors: level of vocabulary and grammar, content/prior knowledge, interestingness, assistance / scaffolding and task demand.  Based on the rubric, we have assessed fifteen of the most popular WebQuests and found a 100% interrater agreement.  The results indicated that only 26% of the selected WebQuests could easily be adopted for EFL instruction while most of them needed to be modified. A number of WebQuests were found to be culturally or socially irrelevant to EFL learners. To conclude, we discuss several aspects of WebQuests, which can benefit EFL learners if they are used in EFL classes.

Key Words: authentic and collaborative tasks, WebQuests in EFL contexts

PDF pps 1-50
SWF pps 1-50