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Revising across languages : a study of six PRC freshmen's writing in Chinese and English
Author
Yu, Dongzhan
Supervisor
Kramer-Dahl, Anneliese
Seow, Anthony
Abstract
Writing research has been marked by a gradual shift from an emphasis on the final product to that of the cognitive composing processes. Previous studies have resulted in implications suggesting that revision plays a crucial and mediating role in the writing process. Research on revision has so far been very fruitful and constructive in terms of its progress of the theoretical formulation and its value of pedagogical implications. However, the other side of the picture is that only lip-service has been paid to revision as a cognitive process that may occur at any time: before, during, and after the instantiation of a text. A survey of the existing literature reveals an apparent lack of systematic study of revision in this new sense. Besides, there is also urgent need to conduct a conduct a comparative study of revision in L1 and L2 writing. An examination of the part that the genre factor plays in revision is also worthwhile in light of the reinterpretation of revision.
This thesis reports on a study designed to meet the above-mentioned challenges. As a process-oriented study of the revision strategies of six Chinese ESL freshmen in writing two Chinese and two English essays in two genres (i.e., narration and exposition), the present investigation was conceived within the framework of a cognitive theory of writing. By applying a methodological triangulation, this study employed such research methods as thinking-aloud protocols, retrospective interviews , a questionnaire, and product study. An analysis of the data obtained from various sources yielded some findings which had not been mentioned by earlier researchers.
This study reveals that the characteristics of revision in CL1 and EL2 writing are basically similar. The subjects made more after writing revisions than either mental revisions or simultaneous revisions, and they made more surface changes than meaning changes in both drafts; extensive correlated with higher rated quality of the essays , and revision, more or less, resulted in better essays; the expository genre was tougher for writers than the narrative genre. In the other hand, there some differences between CL1 and EL2 writing. The subjects spending longer time on pre-draft planning made fewer revisions in CL1 writing but more revisions in EL2 writing, and EL2 writing was a less fluent composing process than CL1 writing, the use of the mother tongue led to more revisions but it was a positive factor rather than an interference by helping the writers to express themselves. There was also an obvious transfer of revising skills from CL1 to EL2 writing.
The findings point to the conclusion that revision can improve the overall quality of a text both in L1 and L2 writing. Students' deficiency in effective revising skills needs to be heeded by writing teachers, and explicit instruction of such skills is necessary. Since L1 and L2 writing processes have been accepted as basically similar, ESL writing teachers need to co-operate with first language teachers to promote their students' writing abilities.
This thesis reports on a study designed to meet the above-mentioned challenges. As a process-oriented study of the revision strategies of six Chinese ESL freshmen in writing two Chinese and two English essays in two genres (i.e., narration and exposition), the present investigation was conceived within the framework of a cognitive theory of writing. By applying a methodological triangulation, this study employed such research methods as thinking-aloud protocols, retrospective interviews , a questionnaire, and product study. An analysis of the data obtained from various sources yielded some findings which had not been mentioned by earlier researchers.
This study reveals that the characteristics of revision in CL1 and EL2 writing are basically similar. The subjects made more after writing revisions than either mental revisions or simultaneous revisions, and they made more surface changes than meaning changes in both drafts; extensive correlated with higher rated quality of the essays , and revision, more or less, resulted in better essays; the expository genre was tougher for writers than the narrative genre. In the other hand, there some differences between CL1 and EL2 writing. The subjects spending longer time on pre-draft planning made fewer revisions in CL1 writing but more revisions in EL2 writing, and EL2 writing was a less fluent composing process than CL1 writing, the use of the mother tongue led to more revisions but it was a positive factor rather than an interference by helping the writers to express themselves. There was also an obvious transfer of revising skills from CL1 to EL2 writing.
The findings point to the conclusion that revision can improve the overall quality of a text both in L1 and L2 writing. Students' deficiency in effective revising skills needs to be heeded by writing teachers, and explicit instruction of such skills is necessary. Since L1 and L2 writing processes have been accepted as basically similar, ESL writing teachers need to co-operate with first language teachers to promote their students' writing abilities.
Date Issued
1999
Call Number
PL1271 Yu
Date Submitted
1999