复杂理论视域下大学生英语写作能力发展特征探究——基于潜变量增长曲线建模与回溯建模的混合设计

Developmental features of college students’ English writing competence from a Complexity Theory perspective:A mixed design based on the Latent Growth Curve Modeling and Retrodictive Modeling

本研究基于复杂理论,采用潜变量增长曲线建模与回溯建模的混合设计,以词汇复杂度、句子复杂度、准确度与流利度为评价变量,考察了英语专业一年级学生一年间英语写作能力在宏观、中观与微观层面的发展特征。研究发现:(1)4个变量均呈先快后慢再快的非线性发展趋势;(2)学生英语写作能力发展可纵向聚类为持续稳定型、先跳跃后稳定型、跳跃稳定交替型3种原型模式;(3)各原型模式典型学生内部子系统间的动态交互关系有所差异,认知资源分配、初始写作习惯、反馈、学习动机等是影响各模式差异的主要因素。研究结果对英语写作教学具有一定启示意义。

Adopting a mixed design based on the Latent Growth Curve Modeling and Retrodictive Modeling from a Complexity Theory perspective, this study investigates the macro, meso and micro developmental features of English writing competence in a group of English-major freshmen across one year. It uses lexical complexity, sentence complexity, accuracy and fluency as the variables, and finds that:(1) the students’ CAF development is not linear, faster at the beginning and the end than in the middle;(2) the students’ English writing competence can be longitudinally classified into three prototypes, namely the continuous stable type, bouncing first and then stable type, and alternate bouncing and stable type;(3) the CAF development of the typical students indicates that the dynamic correlations among the sub-systems are different in three prototypes, and distribution of cognitive resources, initial writing habits, feedback and motivation are the driving forces of different outcomes. The results have implications for teaching of English writing.