The Application of Process Writing in Chinese EFL Classrooms in Higher Education

Zhiqin Wang

doi:10.5539/ijel.v4n3p88

Abstract

This paper aims to investigate potential advantages of process writing in Chinese EFL classrooms in higher education. A survey of questionnaires and semi-structured interviews are employed to elicit data. 150 Junior English majors and 3 writing teachers who have conducted process writing at China West Normal University (CWNU) in Sichuan, Southwest China are invited to take part in the investigation. The results show that process writing has many advantages during its three stages: the pre-writing stage (including brainstorming), the while-writing stage (involving three drafts of writing) and the post-writing stage (covering peer review, teacher feedback and final publication). It is concluded that process writing can benefit both students and their teachers, which can be regarded as an effective part of Chinese EFL classrooms in higher education. As EFL classrooms share some similar features in teaching writing, this study may have some implications for other EFL countries as well.

Highlights

The traditional way of teaching writing in Chinese EFL Classrooms in higher education can neither cater to students’ needs nor satisfy teachers themselves
With an aim to find out possible advantages of process writing in Chinese EFL classrooms in higher education, this study employs a survey of questionnaires and semi-structured interviews to investigate junior English majors and their writing teachers who have conducted process writing at China West Normal University in Sichuan, China
This study investigates junior English majors and their teachers about how they perceive process writing at China West Normal University

Summary

Introduction

The traditional way of teaching writing in Chinese EFL Classrooms in higher education can neither cater to students’ needs nor satisfy teachers themselves. Students are puzzled about what to write and how to write, especially when they are not quite familiar with the given topic They feel it very boring to “produce the similar text” Teachers have exhausted themselves to correct all kinds of mistakes each time, those similar mistakes may occur again and again in students’ subsequent writings. This will make those teachers rather depressed. As neither students nor teachers are satisfied with the traditional way of teaching writing, some measures need to be taken in Chinese EFL classrooms in higher education

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion