A Comparative Study Of The Meta-cognitive Writing Strategies Used By Higher And Lower Proficiency-level English Majors

As an output skill of English learning, English writing has bothered both students and teachers for a long time because it is important but difficult to master well. In recent years, more and more scholars have begun to focus on research in English writing. Although the meta-cognitive strategy is one of the most important learning strategies with which students can plan, monitor and evaluate their learning activities effectively to improve learning outcomes, the study of meta-cognitive strategies used in ESL writing by senior-grade English majors is relatively few. Therefore, this study is intended to reveal similarities and differences in the use of meta-cognitive strategies between higher proficiency-level and lower proficiency-level English Majors in Senior Grade, and the effect that meta-cognitive strategies can bring to English writing. The author wants to enable more and more students realize the importance of meta-cognitive strategy use in English writing, and apply them in their future English writing.The subjects of this study were 150 English majors in Senior Grade from Yunnan Normal University. The questionnaire, writing test and interview were instruments included in this study. The collected data from questionnaire and writing test were full analyzed through SPSS17.0, and three statistical methods were employed: descriptive statistics, independent sample T-test and correlation. This study mainly discussed three questions in detail: 1) Do English majors have awareness of using meta-cognitive strategies in EFL writing? 2) What are the differences of using meta-cognitive strategies in EFL writing between higher and lower proficiency-level English majors? 3) What effects will be brought if meta-cognitive strategies are used by students in their English writing?The results of data analysis indicate three findings: 1) More than half English majors have awareness of applying meta-cognitive strategies in English writing, and overall application frequency is above middle level. 2) There is significant difference of meta-cognitive strategies in ESL writing between higher proficiency-level and lower proficiency-level learners. Overall, high proficiency-level learners could use 70.5% meta-cognitive strategies while lower proficiency-level learners could use just 56.77% meta-cognitive strategies when writing. 3) There is positive correlation between writing score and meta-cognitive strategy use. The more meta-cognitive strategies English major students use, the higher score they can get in their writing.Based on the findings of this study, the author has put forward some suggestions for learners and teachers: 1) English learners are supposed to do more readings in ordinary life to increase their knowledge input, and cultivate good habits of acquisition useful phrases and sentences to apply freely in English writing. 2) English learners should pay attention to not only knowledge but also learning strategies in English writing class. 3) English learners should learn to summarize the difficulties and problems encountered in the process of writing, and try to solve them one by one. Then greater progress is possible in the future writing. 4) English teachers should consciously make some meta-cognitive strategy trainings for students in the teaching process, and guide students to apply meta-cognitive strategies into English writing effectively.