| Adults'English learning is an arduous and complicated process, involving not only the knowledge structure and the cognitive structure of the Chinese language, but also the knowledge structure and cognitive structure developed under the influence of the English language in the process of EFL learning. This is what we call the theory of Cognition-Knowledge Bilingual Double Structures (CKBDS)2. Simply speaking, The CKBDS refers to the Native Language Knowledge Structure (NLKS), the Native Language Cognitive Structure (NLCS), the Foreign Language Knowledge Structure (FLKS) and the Foreign Language Cognitive Structure (FLCS). These four"structures"conspire together and undergo various changes to cross-influence each other in the whole process of adults'English learning.Based on the review of related theory on foreign language writing and pointing out the shortcomings of the former researches, and combining with the latest research fruits of cognitive linguistics, psycholinguists and mental science, this paper starts from the deduction of the relationship between language and thinking under the CKBDS hypothesis and explores and concludes the bilingual thinking mechanism of adults whose L1 is Chinese in English writing. The conclusion of this research demonstrates and enriches the"CKBDS"theory and has certain practical significance on present college writing teaching.In general, this paper reports a study on how ESL/EFL writers use their L1 (first language) when composing in their L2 (second language) and how L2 proficiency is affected by L1 use in different writing period, such as structuring, ideal generation and text output. Thirty one Chinese EFL learners were asked to compose aloud on one task, writing an argumentative paper. Analyses of their think-aloud protocols revealed that these student writers had both their L1 and L2 at their disposal when composing in their L2.They were more likely to rely on L1 when they were managing their writing processes generating and organizing ideas, but more likely to rely on L2 when undertaking text-generating activities.This paper consists of five chapters, and the main contents of each chapter are as follows: Chapter One, a literature review of the previous related research abroad and those research in China, which include 3 main aspects of the international L2 writing research: 1) Comparative studies of rhetoric; 2) L1 writing ability migration; 3) research based on learners'writing corpus Chapter Two, discusses the biological foundation of bilingual phenomena from the aspect of modular theory. Much research shows that there are separate areas in the brain responsible for the language and cognition respectively, and that language is processed by a series of independent yet connected language areas, so is cognition. By so doing, the paper claims that the CKBDS theory confirms to the biological mechanism of the human brain.Chapter Three gives a penetrating analysis of the theory of Cognition-Knowledge Bilingual Double Structures and its inner-relationships, as well as the rationale behind. CKBDS claims that the knowledge structures and cognitive structures based on the two languages are different from each other, and they mutually influence each other in the processes of adults'EFL learning. In addition, it also illustrates the relationship between language and thinking under the framework of CKBDS in detail.Chapter Four explores the concrete bilingual thinking mechanism of adults'English writing based on the analysis of theories in the former chapters through an writing task under thinking aloud protocols.Chapter Five briefly generalizes the implications and limitations of this research. Based on theoretical analysis and an investigation, the paper reaches the followingconclusions:1) There are different brain mechanisms and different cerebral cortex areas activated in the Chinese adults'comprehension when they are writing English composition.2) The complexity of adults'foreign language learning lies in the fact that the learners can never ignore the influence of the mother tongue. For adults, the mother tongue plays a mixed role in foreign language learning. It may be cognitively positive, as it can help learners understand the deep concepts conveyed by the foreign material; and to a certain degree, it can be linguistically negative, as it may interfere with the newly acquired foreign linguistic symbols. All this makes the foreign language learning a complex process.3) CKBDS is a vital phenomenon in adults'English language learning, in which, the languages and thinking, knowledge and cognition interplay with each other and, the knowledge structures and the cognitive structures based on the two languages cross-influence each other, especially in the initial period.4) Adults represent the English language knowledge in their mind with the help of the Chinese language (the native language); meanwhile, they access to the Chinese language cognitive structure to have a cognitive understanding of the English language knowledge.5) English language proficiency, Chinese language proficiency, English thinking, Chinese thinking, which are the four essential components under the framework of"CKBDS"hypothesis, are vital to Chinese adults'English writing. There is an interactive mechanism between English thinking and Chinese thinking in the learners'writing process.6)In English writing, students most likely tend to use L1 in structuring period, L1 use accounts for 91%; in ideas generation period, L1 use accounts for 73%; in text output period, L1 use accounts for the least, 53%. So here is the conclusion, L1 participate most during the structuring period.7) When the adults are writing English composition, the more they use their Chinese thinking in text output period, the less score they may get.8) For adult English learners, the better Chinese is, the more Chinese thinking will be used in English writing. |
