A Tentative Study Of Task-based Methodology In Chinese EFL Writing Instruction

Writing is an extremely complex cognitive activity in which the writer is required to demonstrate his control over a number of variables simultaneously. Influenced by different concepts of language learning and language teaching, different approaches of writing instruction have emerged. Two influential approaches which are often found in the literature and practice are the product-focused approach and process-focused approach. However, along with the researches in writing instruction, some disadvantages of these two approaches have also been found. An interactive approach which combines the principles of the product approach and the process approach is thus called for. The task-based approach is supposed to be a suitable one, because it appears to bear the communicative and meaning-focused features while at the same time it is compatible with the traditional 3Ps (presentation-practice-production) approach. However, empirical studies of its application within the framework for the implementation of task-based instruction are rarely found in the field of writing, especially under Chinese EFL environment in secondary schools.An experiment was conducted in order to probe into the validity and feasibility of the task-based instruction (TBI) in writing. The experiment was designed as a comparative study between TBI and the product-focused approach as well as TBI and the process-focused approach. Three groups of subjects participated in the experiment. One receives TBI. One receives process-focused instruction and one receives the traditional product-focused instruction. Multi-dimensions of writing assessment were applied in the study in order to answer the following three questions: 1) Is TBI in writing more facilitative than the product and the processapproaches in developing learners' writing skills?2) Is TBI in writing more facilitative in developing learners' interlanguage than the product approach and the process approach?3) Is TBI more facilitative in training learners' writing behavior than the product approach and the process approach?The results from the experiment were generally in favor of TBI, in that:1) TBI promoted learners' writing skills most significantly.2) Learners in TBI group showed better interlanguage performance. They achieved higher fluency and syntactic complexity than those in the product group and the process group. However, no significant differences were found in terms of accuracy.3) Learners in TBI group manifested better writing behavior in the pre-writing and post-writing stages, though no significant differences were observed with regard to their writing behavior in the while-writing stage.Based on the results of the study, reasons that might account for the results were discussed according to conditions for second language learning, the underlying assumptions for interlanguage development and the underlying principles of the three different modes of instruction.It is expected that the findings and discussions in the present study will shed light on the designing and implementing of tasks for daily English writing instruction under Chinese EFL environment.