The pedagogical context and the theoretical bases of EFL writing instruction in a public high school in Taiwan (China)

The purpose of this educational ethnographic case study is to investigate current English writing instruction in a college-entrance-exam-oriented public high school in Taiwan and in addition treats complexities involved in understanding the teaching of English writing in this same context.; Two experienced English teachers in a public high school in Taiwan participated in this project. There are four data sources: one-semester classroom observation, semi-structure interviews, teaching materials, and students' composition work. All data are analyzed by way of different themes, including teachers' beliefs, classroom procedures and methods, writing assignments, classroom activities/interactions, foci of teaching English writing, grading criteria, and characteristics of pedagogical approaches.; The findings show that the college entrance exam in Taiwan profoundly influences all elements of English writing instruction in this public high school. In addition, due to the impact of the college entrance exam, the instructional orientation of English writing in this pedagogical context is current-traditional rhetoric, mainly focusing on grammatical and rhetorical forms. Considering this pedagogical context and the instructional basis of current-traditional rhetoric, the researcher argues the most important objective of English writing in this public high school is merely to equip students to self-edit their own essays at the sentence level. Four feasible writing modifications to writing instruction, including effective strategies of grammar correction, employing writing conferences, rewriting, and in-class instruction, are suggested. Each practice is connected to the other and all are indispensable to achieve success on a nationally-administered exam.