Two Digital Writing Tools that Help the Writing Process: ProWritingAid and Padlet

In an educational world that is increasingly influenced by technology, various digital tools can now be utilized to support the development of writing skills, especially for language learners. This paper discusses two different types of digital writing tools, namely ProWritingAid, a writing assistant software, and Padlet, a web-based collaborative platform. Both tools support different stages of writing and are aimed at different levels of students' abilities and needs.

ProWritingAid is a software that analyzes user texts to detect errors in grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and style. It also provides detailed feedback in the form of reports that help improve clarity, coherence, readability, and vocabulary variety in writing. This tool is very effective at the revision and editing stage, especially when students already have a draft of their writing and want to improve it. The sub-skills supported by ProWritingAid include grammatical accuracy, sentence fluency, vocabulary richness, and stylistic consistency. Due to the complexity of its features and analysis, this tool is more suitable for intermediate to advanced learners (B1-C1 positions), especially those who are writing for academic purposes or exam preparation. For example, in a writing class, teachers can ask students to write an essay, and then use ProWritingAid in a peer review session to analyze their own or a friend's draft before submission. In this way, students are encouraged to learn independently but still in a collaborative environment.

In contrast, Padlet is an online platform that allows students to write, share ideas and comment in a shared visual workspace. This tool is particularly useful at the pre-writing and drafting stages, where students can freely express ideas, respond to topics, and work together on writing projects. Padlet encourages creativity, discussion of ideas, and collaborative work, so it is suitable for use by elementary to intermediate level students (A2-B1 position), especially in project or creative writing activities. For example, Padlet's chain story writing task allows each student to add parts of the story to a shared board, thus practicing continuous idea development while strengthening cooperation between students.

Overall, ProWritingAid excels at providing in-depth feedback that helps students improve their writing independently, although the interface can be confusing for beginners and requires a stable internet connection. Nevertheless, this tool is highly recommended for academic writing classes as it supports more structured self-directed learning. On the other hand, Padlet is easily accessible, encourages active participation, and strengthens interaction between students. Although it does not have an auto-correct feature, Padlet is very useful in building ideas collaboratively and improving digital literacy. If used in accordance with the right writing stages, these two tools can complement each other in supporting the improvement of students' writing skills.

Instagram and BBC Learning English in Teaching English Reading Skills

The rapid pace of globalization has brought about major changes in the world of education, especially in English language teaching. The advancement of digital technology has made the language learning process easier with various methods that can be customized to the needs of each student. For example, Instagram and BBC Learning English are two platforms that play an important role in helping to hone reading skills. This essay will review the conveniences and challenges presented by both tools.

Additionally, Instagram, as a popular social media application, can be utilized to support English language learning, especially in reading skills. Through visual content and short texts such as captions and stories, Instagram supports speed reading techniques such as skimming and scanning. The platform is perfect for learners with levels ranging from A2 to C1, especially teenagers and young adults, as it is easily accessible and familiar to them. In addition, the diverse content depicting daily life and culture makes learning feel more real and engaging.

However, using Instagram in an educational context also has its drawbacks. The casual and unorganized structure of its content makes it inappropriate for Instagram to be the sole source of learning. In addition, the amount of irrelevant or unreliable content can disrupt learning focus. Therefore, Instagram is more effective when used with appropriate guidance from teachers. For example, students can be asked to find pictures with interesting topics, read the information and then write a short description in English. This method not only increases learning motivation, but also enriches students' language experience.

On the other hand, BBC Learning English is an educational website that provides a variety of English learning materials in the form of articles, videos, and interactive exercises. The platform is designed for learners from A2 to C1 levels, targeting teenagers to adults. The materials presented are organized systematically, covering grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and other communication skills. This allows users to learn according to their individual abilities and needs.

Moreover, the main focus of BBC Learning English is to develop reading skills through text comprehension, analysis and vocabulary expansion using professional and structured materials. By using this site, learning will become more interesting and more structured. For example, in a news reading lesson, students can read articles, discuss the content and do comprehension exercises. The advantages of this platform lie in the quality of the appropriate materials and the systematic approach to learning. The downside of this site is that it requires a stable internet connection and adequate devices.