To get more insight into using self-assessment in writing instruction, the present study intends to explore the effects of student self-assessment on students' EFL writing by adopting writing assignments, analytic sc...To get more insight into using self-assessment in writing instruction, the present study intends to explore the effects of student self-assessment on students' EFL writing by adopting writing assignments, analytic scoring rubric, questionnaires and interviews. It is found that students are able to make judgments about the overall quality of their writing in a manner consistent with those made by the teacher and students made significant improvements in content, organization, and mechanics of their writing after the practice of self-assessment while qualities concerning vocabulary and language use have been improved but not to a significant level. Moreover, the study demonstrates that the practice of self-assessment has exerted positive influence on students' perceptions of their writing skills in terms of organization, language use and mechanics while it does not result in any change of students' perceptions of their writing skills in content and vocabulary. These implications are conductive to working out a set of new models of the teaching of writing and helping further intensify the innovations of Chinese foreign language teaching.展开更多
Competence in academic writing in college is a challenging as well as an engaging task for many college students. Argumentative writing and acknowledging the counterargument is one of modes that is introduced in fresh...Competence in academic writing in college is a challenging as well as an engaging task for many college students. Argumentative writing and acknowledging the counterargument is one of modes that is introduced in freshman classes; however, college students approach writing with a certain mindset. Learning to write in different modes could be exciting when taught utilizing a film or a documentary. Using a documentary, such as Devil's Playground, writing professors not only initiate interest in culture learning and cultural understanding but also motivate students to use argumentation to foster critical thinking as well as cultural understanding.展开更多
The aim of the current study is to discuss the value of poetry writing in an L2 (second language) by investigating perceptions, attitudes, and emotions of 20 EFL (English as a Foreign Language) college freshmen re...The aim of the current study is to discuss the value of poetry writing in an L2 (second language) by investigating perceptions, attitudes, and emotions of 20 EFL (English as a Foreign Language) college freshmen regarding writing Japanese poetry, haiku in English. This paper first discussed issues and uses of literature in L2 contexts and addressed the current empirical inquiry into L2 haiku writing as a method for L2 learning. The study was designed as a qualitative research which investigated the participants' reflection on writing L2 haikus for six weeks in an EFL college writing course. The data obtained was analyzed by using the coding system and showed that writing haiku in the target language was a challenging but valuable task for L2 learning among the EFL students. Especially haiku composition allowed them to develop their L2 linguistic awareness展开更多
This study aimed at investigating the effect of Facebook on grammar discussion and writing skill in English as a foreign language for university students, The study sample consisted of 60 students at Oklt AI Sqoor Col...This study aimed at investigating the effect of Facebook on grammar discussion and writing skill in English as a foreign language for university students, The study sample consisted of 60 students at Oklt AI Sqoor College of Science and Arts in Saudi Arabia and was divided into two groups: 30 students for the experimental group and 30 students for the control group. The instrument of the study was an EFL grammar and writing test. Students in both the experimental and the control group were pre-tested using the EFL (English as a Foreign Language) grammar and writing test, After that the experimental group was taught using Facebook while the control group was taught using the traditional method. Finally, students in both groups were post-tested using the EFL grammar and writing test. Results of the study showed that the experimental group outperformed the control group in the post-test of EFL grammar and writing. This difference can be attributed to using Facebook.展开更多
This research is designed to investigate interlanguage fossilization in Chinese college students' written output. Twelve common linguistic errors from 20 Chinese EFL (English as a foreign language) learners' writi...This research is designed to investigate interlanguage fossilization in Chinese college students' written output. Twelve common linguistic errors from 20 Chinese EFL (English as a foreign language) learners' writing assignments are observed. Results show that among 12 typical errors, five types of errors are declining while the rest are increasing, indicating a tendency towards fossilization. Analysis shows that negative/corrective feedback has played a key role in reducing fossilization of some errors, but it does not work in every case. Some errors tend to be fossilized for several reasons. First, language items that do not have a direct form-function relationship are likely to be fossilized. Second, advanced learners create their own language system and neglect the basic rules of grammar. Third, task difficulty takes learners' attention away from form to meaning. Fourth, ingrained thinking patterns have a great impact on how learners organize their thoughts in writing. It is true that many Chinese EFL advanced learners reach a plateau in the process of acquiring English. However, attention, consciousness, and training of self-monitoring ability will help destabilize their interlanguage system.展开更多
Since the process writing was raised in the L2 writing in 1970s, the feedback has been an important part of teaching. A range of researchers have investigated the effect of different types of error feedback to find wh...Since the process writing was raised in the L2 writing in 1970s, the feedback has been an important part of teaching. A range of researchers have investigated the effect of different types of error feedback to find whether the feedback can help L2 writers improve the accuracy of their writing. Similar to the previously discussed question, they have also reached rather controversial conclusions. Most often, these studies have categorized corrective feedback as either direct or indirect. To explore the effects of corrective feedback in L2 writing, the paper investigated the types of feedback given to 30 college students of Tianhe College in Guangdong province. The study improved that correction feedback can improve accuracy in student writing.展开更多
At first, this paper presents the origin, developments and main view of Error Analysis. Then, based on the theories of Error Analysis, this paper collected and analyzed 398 errors in 30 compositions randomly selected ...At first, this paper presents the origin, developments and main view of Error Analysis. Then, based on the theories of Error Analysis, this paper collected and analyzed 398 errors in 30 compositions randomly selected from CLEC, written for the exam of CET-4. The results showed that errors were mainly expressed form the aspects of usage of words and forms, and rooted from three sources, the shortage on knowledge of grammar and the lack of standardization on language usage, intralingual transfer and the interlingual transfer. Then, this paper touched upon the principles and methods of English writing to provide with some suggestions for the teaching of English writing in China.展开更多
As a main international communication tool, English is becoming more and more important in China. Listening, speaking, reading, writing are the four basic skills of English. Nowadays, many college students fred that w...As a main international communication tool, English is becoming more and more important in China. Listening, speaking, reading, writing are the four basic skills of English. Nowadays, many college students fred that writing is the most difficult thing in their English study, especially in CET-4. With the hope of improving college student's writing ability, this paper aims to analyze some effective ways on how to improve students' writing ability.展开更多
This article develops an empirical an investigation on the errors in compositions written by students who are studying in Luzhou Vocational and Technical College (LVTC) and Luzhou Medical College (LMC) and contras...This article develops an empirical an investigation on the errors in compositions written by students who are studying in Luzhou Vocational and Technical College (LVTC) and Luzhou Medical College (LMC) and contrasts them in order to trace the source of the errors. It finally turns out to be that there exists strong correlation between students' academic quality and the number of errors of various types. Compared with ordinary university students, vocational and technical college (VTC) students' interlanguage (IL) errors seem to be more rudimental, and more negative-transferring, most of which are influenced by their mother tongue (MT)-Chinese. VTC students' general error in writing is misspelling, while university students ' major error lies in collocation. In this thesis, some practical enlightenment about learning and teaching English writing are also proposed.展开更多
The present paper reports an empirical study on writer's block of Chinese EFL learners at the tertiary level in the mainland of P.R.China.Factor analysis approach was employed in the present study and the results ...The present paper reports an empirical study on writer's block of Chinese EFL learners at the tertiary level in the mainland of P.R.China.Factor analysis approach was employed in the present study and the results of confirmatory factor analysis verified the model we gained.Three factors were found in writer's block of Chinese EFL learners:complexity,premature editing and attitudes.The results also showed that writer's block might be related to learners' lack of strategies in the writing process.Meanwhile,the blocked writers did not hold appropriate feelings and beliefs towards writing and teachers' evaluation on their writing.Accordingly,we suggest that we help develop learners' writing strategies and the teachers' evaluation be encouraging-oriented.Finally,suggestions for further research are raised.展开更多
As the number of Chinese international students studying in the U.S. has grown dramatically in recent years, there has been increasing attention to how English Composition instructors approach these students' writing...As the number of Chinese international students studying in the U.S. has grown dramatically in recent years, there has been increasing attention to how English Composition instructors approach these students' writings. Using a dialogue format representing "narratives of classroom life" (Nelson, 2011a), this paper demonstrates two polemic views held by teachers and researchers: one view sees students' language use as problematic as it differs from the expected standards required for academic success in the U.S., while the other calls for more tolerance of the students' linguistic and cultural diversity and accordingly, more strategic ways to give "error feedback." By opening up the debate, the paper explores possibilities for teachers in the U.S. and around the world to help their students address the gap between academic expectations, and what they are currently capable of.展开更多
This paper considers the output feedback control and stabilization problems for network control systems(NCSs) with packet dropout and input delay, and the TCP(transmission control protocol) case is mainly investig...This paper considers the output feedback control and stabilization problems for network control systems(NCSs) with packet dropout and input delay, and the TCP(transmission control protocol) case is mainly investigated. Specifically, whether the control signal is lost can be acknowledged by the receiver in the NCSs. The main contributions are: 1) For the finite horizon case, the "optimal"output feedback control is derived by using the dynamic programming approach, and it is noted that the separation principle holds for the considered situation; 2) For the infinite horizon case, for the first time, the necessary and sufficient stabilization conditions are derived for NCSs with packet dropout and delay.展开更多
The author conducted a one-semester action research project by creating and implementing an 8-page, approximately 150-item writing rubric to enhance teacher-student feedback for first- year Chinese English as a Foreig...The author conducted a one-semester action research project by creating and implementing an 8-page, approximately 150-item writing rubric to enhance teacher-student feedback for first- year Chinese English as a Foreign Language writing students at the university level. At the end of the semester, students answered multiple-choice questions and provided written responses to questions about the rubric. Students' surveys indicated that the rubric could help students learn how to improve content, organization, language and style, grammar, and mechanics when writing expository essays. Also, students indicated that they preferred shorter rubrics for each expository essay style that they encountered in the semester.展开更多
文摘To get more insight into using self-assessment in writing instruction, the present study intends to explore the effects of student self-assessment on students' EFL writing by adopting writing assignments, analytic scoring rubric, questionnaires and interviews. It is found that students are able to make judgments about the overall quality of their writing in a manner consistent with those made by the teacher and students made significant improvements in content, organization, and mechanics of their writing after the practice of self-assessment while qualities concerning vocabulary and language use have been improved but not to a significant level. Moreover, the study demonstrates that the practice of self-assessment has exerted positive influence on students' perceptions of their writing skills in terms of organization, language use and mechanics while it does not result in any change of students' perceptions of their writing skills in content and vocabulary. These implications are conductive to working out a set of new models of the teaching of writing and helping further intensify the innovations of Chinese foreign language teaching.
文摘Competence in academic writing in college is a challenging as well as an engaging task for many college students. Argumentative writing and acknowledging the counterargument is one of modes that is introduced in freshman classes; however, college students approach writing with a certain mindset. Learning to write in different modes could be exciting when taught utilizing a film or a documentary. Using a documentary, such as Devil's Playground, writing professors not only initiate interest in culture learning and cultural understanding but also motivate students to use argumentation to foster critical thinking as well as cultural understanding.
文摘The aim of the current study is to discuss the value of poetry writing in an L2 (second language) by investigating perceptions, attitudes, and emotions of 20 EFL (English as a Foreign Language) college freshmen regarding writing Japanese poetry, haiku in English. This paper first discussed issues and uses of literature in L2 contexts and addressed the current empirical inquiry into L2 haiku writing as a method for L2 learning. The study was designed as a qualitative research which investigated the participants' reflection on writing L2 haikus for six weeks in an EFL college writing course. The data obtained was analyzed by using the coding system and showed that writing haiku in the target language was a challenging but valuable task for L2 learning among the EFL students. Especially haiku composition allowed them to develop their L2 linguistic awareness
文摘This study aimed at investigating the effect of Facebook on grammar discussion and writing skill in English as a foreign language for university students, The study sample consisted of 60 students at Oklt AI Sqoor College of Science and Arts in Saudi Arabia and was divided into two groups: 30 students for the experimental group and 30 students for the control group. The instrument of the study was an EFL grammar and writing test. Students in both the experimental and the control group were pre-tested using the EFL (English as a Foreign Language) grammar and writing test, After that the experimental group was taught using Facebook while the control group was taught using the traditional method. Finally, students in both groups were post-tested using the EFL grammar and writing test. Results of the study showed that the experimental group outperformed the control group in the post-test of EFL grammar and writing. This difference can be attributed to using Facebook.
文摘This research is designed to investigate interlanguage fossilization in Chinese college students' written output. Twelve common linguistic errors from 20 Chinese EFL (English as a foreign language) learners' writing assignments are observed. Results show that among 12 typical errors, five types of errors are declining while the rest are increasing, indicating a tendency towards fossilization. Analysis shows that negative/corrective feedback has played a key role in reducing fossilization of some errors, but it does not work in every case. Some errors tend to be fossilized for several reasons. First, language items that do not have a direct form-function relationship are likely to be fossilized. Second, advanced learners create their own language system and neglect the basic rules of grammar. Third, task difficulty takes learners' attention away from form to meaning. Fourth, ingrained thinking patterns have a great impact on how learners organize their thoughts in writing. It is true that many Chinese EFL advanced learners reach a plateau in the process of acquiring English. However, attention, consciousness, and training of self-monitoring ability will help destabilize their interlanguage system.
文摘Since the process writing was raised in the L2 writing in 1970s, the feedback has been an important part of teaching. A range of researchers have investigated the effect of different types of error feedback to find whether the feedback can help L2 writers improve the accuracy of their writing. Similar to the previously discussed question, they have also reached rather controversial conclusions. Most often, these studies have categorized corrective feedback as either direct or indirect. To explore the effects of corrective feedback in L2 writing, the paper investigated the types of feedback given to 30 college students of Tianhe College in Guangdong province. The study improved that correction feedback can improve accuracy in student writing.
文摘At first, this paper presents the origin, developments and main view of Error Analysis. Then, based on the theories of Error Analysis, this paper collected and analyzed 398 errors in 30 compositions randomly selected from CLEC, written for the exam of CET-4. The results showed that errors were mainly expressed form the aspects of usage of words and forms, and rooted from three sources, the shortage on knowledge of grammar and the lack of standardization on language usage, intralingual transfer and the interlingual transfer. Then, this paper touched upon the principles and methods of English writing to provide with some suggestions for the teaching of English writing in China.
文摘As a main international communication tool, English is becoming more and more important in China. Listening, speaking, reading, writing are the four basic skills of English. Nowadays, many college students fred that writing is the most difficult thing in their English study, especially in CET-4. With the hope of improving college student's writing ability, this paper aims to analyze some effective ways on how to improve students' writing ability.
文摘This article develops an empirical an investigation on the errors in compositions written by students who are studying in Luzhou Vocational and Technical College (LVTC) and Luzhou Medical College (LMC) and contrasts them in order to trace the source of the errors. It finally turns out to be that there exists strong correlation between students' academic quality and the number of errors of various types. Compared with ordinary university students, vocational and technical college (VTC) students' interlanguage (IL) errors seem to be more rudimental, and more negative-transferring, most of which are influenced by their mother tongue (MT)-Chinese. VTC students' general error in writing is misspelling, while university students ' major error lies in collocation. In this thesis, some practical enlightenment about learning and teaching English writing are also proposed.
文摘The present paper reports an empirical study on writer's block of Chinese EFL learners at the tertiary level in the mainland of P.R.China.Factor analysis approach was employed in the present study and the results of confirmatory factor analysis verified the model we gained.Three factors were found in writer's block of Chinese EFL learners:complexity,premature editing and attitudes.The results also showed that writer's block might be related to learners' lack of strategies in the writing process.Meanwhile,the blocked writers did not hold appropriate feelings and beliefs towards writing and teachers' evaluation on their writing.Accordingly,we suggest that we help develop learners' writing strategies and the teachers' evaluation be encouraging-oriented.Finally,suggestions for further research are raised.
文摘As the number of Chinese international students studying in the U.S. has grown dramatically in recent years, there has been increasing attention to how English Composition instructors approach these students' writings. Using a dialogue format representing "narratives of classroom life" (Nelson, 2011a), this paper demonstrates two polemic views held by teachers and researchers: one view sees students' language use as problematic as it differs from the expected standards required for academic success in the U.S., while the other calls for more tolerance of the students' linguistic and cultural diversity and accordingly, more strategic ways to give "error feedback." By opening up the debate, the paper explores possibilities for teachers in the U.S. and around the world to help their students address the gap between academic expectations, and what they are currently capable of.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos.61120106011,61573221,61633014supported by the program for Outstanding Ph D Candidate of Shandong University
文摘This paper considers the output feedback control and stabilization problems for network control systems(NCSs) with packet dropout and input delay, and the TCP(transmission control protocol) case is mainly investigated. Specifically, whether the control signal is lost can be acknowledged by the receiver in the NCSs. The main contributions are: 1) For the finite horizon case, the "optimal"output feedback control is derived by using the dynamic programming approach, and it is noted that the separation principle holds for the considered situation; 2) For the infinite horizon case, for the first time, the necessary and sufficient stabilization conditions are derived for NCSs with packet dropout and delay.
文摘The author conducted a one-semester action research project by creating and implementing an 8-page, approximately 150-item writing rubric to enhance teacher-student feedback for first- year Chinese English as a Foreign Language writing students at the university level. At the end of the semester, students answered multiple-choice questions and provided written responses to questions about the rubric. Students' surveys indicated that the rubric could help students learn how to improve content, organization, language and style, grammar, and mechanics when writing expository essays. Also, students indicated that they preferred shorter rubrics for each expository essay style that they encountered in the semester.