Influential Factors on Language Creativity of College Students in ESL Writing

Abstract

Writing ability is a very important language output ability. Current studies on second language writing mainly focus on writing text, writing process, writing teaching methods, writing assessment and other aspects. Relatively few studies on writing language creativity focus on the measurement of language creativity in writing. Based on interpretation of China's Standards of English Language Ability (CSE) for writing, this study developed a new scale to explore the factors affecting language creativity in English writing. This scale was used to measure 329 sophomores majoring in English. The data were analyzed by factor analysis and regression analysis. It was concluded that four influencing factors including Thinking Ability, Expressing Ability, Information and Technology Literacy and Knowledge and Cultural Literacy had a positive correlation on writing language creativity in ESL writing, and there was also a correlation between the four factors.