An Action Research Of Improving Senior Three Students’ English Writing Performance

English writing has always been a key part of NMET. The teaching of English writing shoulders great responsibility in strengthening students’ language competence and improving students’ performance in NMET. Thus it occupies an important position in the teaching practice of senior high school. However, in current teaching practice, problems such as monotonous teaching mode restrict the improvement of students’ performance. How to improve the teaching quality of English writing and students’ writing competence becomes a major concern of English teachers in senior high school.By focusing on resolving problematic situations in teaching practice, action research matters a lot in educational field. In the action research process, the teacher combines research with teaching, puts forward corresponding solutions to problems identified in the teaching practice and applies them into practice. In the meantime, the teacher modifies plans if necessary so as to improve the quality of teaching practice.Being the researcher of this research project, the author also worked as a senior three English teacher in Chenxi NO.1 Senior High School. During the first term of 2014-2015 school years, the author conducted a two-month action research. The study was designed to address the following three questions.1. What problems restricted the improvement of students’ writing performance?2. What solutions could be adopted?3. Which solutions adopted were more efficient?From qualitative analysis of lesson plans, teaching logs and students’ essays, the author concluded that two problems restricted the improvement of students’ writing performance:imperfect teaching methods and feedback approach; insufficiency of English input in English classes. Solutions adopted included model-essay illustration and indirect written corrective feedback in cycle 1; basic sentence patterns explanation and direct written corrective feedback in cycle 2; recitation of sentences in good English and direct written corrective feedback in cycle 3. Based on the data analysis, direct written corrective feedback and recitation of sentences in good English were evidenced to be more efficient in motivating the improvement of students’ performance.