Chinese high school students’ L1 writing instruction:implications for EFL writing in college

摘要

Recent theory in L2 writing has been influenced by the social constructionist view. (Journet,rn1990). This approach emphasizes the importance of the social content where learning takes placernand conceptualizes writing as a social act. The current study of genre (Swales, 1990) and L2 andrnL2 literacy theory also highlighted the nature of genre knowledge as being dynamic and situated inrna particular context. A case study by Spack (1997) and research by Kobayashi and Rinnert (2002)rnshowed that students’ L1 educational background influenced their approach to learning L2 andrnshaped the way they thought about L2 learning. This study is to explore the issues related tornChinese L1 literacy background, such as: (1) Learner’s L1 writing experience and instruction inrnwriting class; (2) the nature of Chinese high school students literacy. The study shows that manyrnstudents have sufficient opportunities to express themselves in L1 writing, since journals arerncollected every week. However, writing product rather than writing process is evaluated in class.rnThe interview also indicates that most students have been intensively trained in expressing ideasrnand opinions clearly and logically in L1. However, even if students get certain training in writing,rnthe writing instructions they have are much less than that of reading. The implications for EFLrnwriting in college is that (1) college EFL writing teachers should encourage students to make fullrnuse of their L1 writing abilities and expertise and writing strategies to facilitate their L2 writing; (2)rndue to the difference in rhetorical features of the two languages, teachers should introduce thernEnglish rhetorical features in class; (3) teachers should turn writing class into a place wherernstudents research their own literacy and develop critical awareness of what they need to learnrnabout L2 writing.