USE OF COMPUTERS IN THE WRITING SKILLS OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS: A STUDY (Pages 87-97) by Fr. D. Sunder Reddy in THE INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH SPECIALIST / ISSN: 2350-1499 (Online); 2350-0751 (Print)

Writing has been one of the aspects to be considered as literate, educated, cultured and civilized. The act of writing is very essential in conveying meaning to the other. There is a drastic transformation in the way the writing has been evolved. The modern technology has entered into every sphere of life including writing. The technology of writing empowers its users with power and control. The introduction of technology in writing class will not automatically change the writing capacity unless it is in taught with care and interest. The computer as a powerful writing tool is changing the definition of writing itself. The computer has changed the form and appearance of language. The study employed 32 undergraduate students and got their opinions through a questionnaire to understand how the present generation of students uses the computers for their needs both academic and non academic. It is said that in the fast moving world of computers, internet and e-mail, content is more important than spelling and punctuation. But the same computer can also enhance the spelling and grammar accuracy. This study tries to explore the role of the computer in the formulation and expression of thoughts, and how the computer could be used to facilitate the mechanism of the highly challenging task called writing. The findings of the study reveal that the undergraduate students are using the computer for various purposes. Keywords: writing, Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL), Technology, Computer, Academic and non-academic