A Study On Meaning Construction In EFL Writing:A Phenomenological Perspective

In recent years,EFL writing has attracted the interest of many researchers and scholars at home and abroad.However,among the theoretical and practical researches on EFL writing,researchers paid more attention to the problems and improvement strategies of students? English writing,but did not pay enough attention to how students explore and express meaning freely in English writing.Phenomenology is a research about concept,and the inquiry of meaning has always been the focus of phenomenological research.This research aims to explore the predicament of English as a second language learner in the writing process and tries to give corresponding solutions from the perspective of phenomenology.This study uses survey(including questionnaire and interview)and text analysis to explore the problems of meaning construction in Chinese college students? English writing through qualitative and quantitative analysis of survey data and collected texts.As for these problems,this study also proposes corresponding countermeasures.Results show that there are three main barriers in the meaning construction of English writing which are the semiotic barrier,semantic barrier and cognitive barrier.Semiotic barrier is mainly manifested in students? overemphasis on form and the abuse of English templates in the process of writing.Semantic barrier in meaning construction in EFL writing is mainly reflected in words.And cognitive barrier is caused by the absence of students? experience.In order to eliminate these three obstacles,this thesis suggests that in the process of English writing,simulative writing,translation-based writing and embodiment-based writing can be used to promote the construction of meaning.This study has some implications for English(writing)teaching and assessment.First of all,this study recommends teachers change the previous teaching methods such as template teaching.This kind of teaching method is not conducive to the improvement of students? writing ability.Teachers should cultivate students? ability of simulating writing,encourage them to observe life and experience life and to accumulate writing materials through their own experience,thus to express meaning freely in English writing.Secondly,the study recommends students to avoid the obstacles that affect meaning construction in English writing,and puts forward some writing methods,which would help students improve their writing ability in practice.