本文是一篇英语论文，本研究结果表明：第一，语篇功能理论指导下的英语读后续写对学生的写作习惯、写作态度以及语篇意识产生积极影响。第二，语篇功能理论指导下的英语读后续写一定程度上提高了学生的写作水平。
Chapter One Introduction
1.1 Research Background
1.1.1 The Introduction of Continuation Writing in the NewCollege Entrance Examination
The English test is mainly based on examining students’ability to listen,read,andwrite.Listening and reading belong to the input,and the writing is the output,whichexamines students’comprehensive language application ability.In past majorexaminations,such as the college entrance examination,the examination of writingability mainly appeared as an application essay examination.As a result,writing skillsare often trained separately in traditional English teaching at the senior middle school.Learners are asked to write an application essay based on a topic,which is then revisedand embellished according to the critics’suggestions,such as error corrections,sentenceinnovations,and so on,to form a higher-quality text.However,application writing tendsto be stereotyped and has limitations as it cuts off examining other language skills.In2016,the OECD(Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development)releasedPISA 2018 Draft Analytical Frameworks(OECD,2016),which explicitly states that theconcept of the“Reading and Writing Consortium”has pointed out a developmentdirection for the reform of language teaching.
In 2014,Zhejiang and Shanghai were the first to open the prelude to the new collegeentrance examination reform,making drastic reforms in subject selection,questionsettings,and the number of exams.English,being one of the widely popular andintensely discussed subjects,has undergone remarkable transformations.In August 2015,the Explanations for the National Unified Examination for Admission to RegularInstitutions of Higher Learning(English Subject)(Ministry of Education ExaminationCenter,2015)were formally released.
1.2 Research Purpose
Based on the new requirements put forward by the new curriculum standard,thenew college entrance examination,and the current situation of continuation writing insenior middle school,this study tries to establish a teaching design based on the textualfunction theory.Applying thematic structure,information structure,and the interactionbetween them to senior middle school English continuation writing teaching to changestudents’writing habits and attitudes,enhance students’textual awareness,and improvetheir writing performance.In addition,teachers can apply textual function and relatedtheories to their teaching practice,which will provide new perspectives and ideas forsenior middle school English continuation writing teaching.
Chapter Two Literature Review
2.1 Previous Study on the Application of TextualFunction in English Writing Teaching Abroad
Foreign scholars have researched the application of textual cohesion and coherencein the theory of textual function to second-language writing.Many experts and scholarshave discovered a correlation between the quality of English compositions and thecohesion and coherence devices used by learners in articles.Boosting the usage of thesedevices can enhance the text’s coherence to a certain extent.
For example,Poudel and Dhankuta(2018)found that both cohesion and coherencecontribute to maintaining the unity of paragraphs in academic writing,and the coherenceof sentences fitted into the context to enhance writing quality.Kim and Crossley(2018)employed Structural Equation Modeling to develop a model of second language writingquality,focusing on the standardized TOEFL(Test of English as a Foreign Language).Their findings revealed that articles receiving higher ratings tended to exhibit morecomplex vocabulary,rational cohesion between paragraphs and clauses,and prominenttextual cohesion characteristics.Second-language writing articles with higher scorestypically have a richer vocabulary(Kyle&Crossley,2016).Moreover,the essay with ahigh score would show more outstanding cohesion ability(Crossley,Kyle,&McNamara,2016).Tywoniw(2019)studied the cohesive features of 960 articles written by 480TOEFL examines and found that text cohesion was a multi-dimensional structure shapedby writing tasks.However,the coherent indicators that affected people’s judgments ofwriting quality were not entirely different across different writing tasks.Based on this,Tabari(2023)compared the expression of cohesion between narrative and argumentativewriting styles and found differences in how different types express cohesion,providingessential insights for second language writing teaching and evaluation.
2.2 Previous Study on the Application of TextualFunction in English Writing Teaching at Home
In teaching English writing,domestic research on applying textual function theoryin English writing also focuses on textual cohesion and coherence.Wen Qiufang(2008)delved into the nexus between English reading and textual cohesion in writing,arguingthat the latter was integral to the logic and fluency of one’s composition while readingwas a guide to enhancing cohesion in English writing.Su Keyin(2007)and ChengXiaotang(2009)emphasized that English writing was cultivating students’ability toexpress meaning in written form in English.The key to expressing meaning was usingspecific cohesion mechanisms and devices to achieve coherence.Li Xikui and Shi Tieqiang(2012)found that the frequency of students using textual connection deviceswas directly related to their proficiency.Zhang Buyin(2015)analyzed the improvementof students’English writing ability from the perspective of textual coherence.LiuJianwen(2016)believed that cohesion not only had the function of semantic organizationand connection but also a semantic concept and a relationship in meaning.Through thesedevices,one part of the text was connected and coherent with another in meaning,forming a cohesive whole.Although these scholars have made in-depth discussions onthe cohesion and coherence of writing,most research cases are mainly applied writing,and there are few studies on continuation writing.
Chapter Three Theoretical Basis................................11
3.1 Thematic Structure...................................11
3.2 Information Structure..............................17
Chapter Four The Application of Textual Function in Senior Middle School EnglishContinuation Writing.......................21
4.1 The Application of Thematic Structure in English Continuation Writing...........21
4.2 The Application of Information Structure in English Continuation Writing.......25
Chapter Five Research Design...............................30
5.1 Research Questions.................................30
5.2 Research Subjects.............................30
Chapter Six Analysis and Discussion
6.1 The Effects of Continuation Writing Teachingon Textual Function in Students’Writing Habits,Attitudes,and Textual Awareness
6.1.1 Analysis of the Questionnaire
6.1.1.1 Pre-questionnaire Analysis in EC and CC
The questionnaire is divided into three dimensions:writing habits,writing attitudes,and textual awareness.When designing the scale,this study adopts a Likert five scaletable and assigns each option from A to B with a score of 1-5.The data of thepre-questionnaire in CC and EC is shown in Table 6-1.
According to the independent sample T-test results,(1)from the perspective ofwriting habits,the T-test for writing habits is 0.646,corresponding to a Sig.value of0.520,which is greater than 0.05 and does not reach a significant level.Therefore,thereis no significant difference in writing habits between the EC and CC in thepre-questionnaire.(2)In the writing attitude dimension,the T-test value of writing titude is-0.579,corresponding to a Sig.value of 0.564,more significant than 0.05.Thatmeans it does not reach a significant level.Therefore,there is no significant difference inwriting attitude between the EC and CC in the pre-questionnaire.(3)From theperspective of the textual awareness dimension,the T-test value of textual awareness is-0.806,corresponding to a Sig.value of 0.422,which is greater than 0.05 and does notreach a significant level.It makes clear that there is no significant difference in textualawareness dimension between the EC and CC before the experiment.
Chapter Seven Conclusion
7.1 Major Findings
(1)Continuation Writing Teaching on Textual Function Can Affect Students’Writing Habits,Attitudes,and Textual Awareness
The continuation writing teaching guided by the theory of textual function improvesstudents’interest and confidence in English writing and changes their writing habits.Inorder to understand the current situation of English writing in senior middle schools inChina,this study conducts a questionnaire survey in the two classes before the teachingexperiment to get the initial status of their English writing.Through interviews withstudents at the end of the experiment,students have changed their English writing habits,attitudes,and textual awareness.
In the first place,by comparing pre-and post-questionnaires and analyzinginterview results,it is found that students in the EC have changed their writing habitsafter learning continuation writing guided by textual function theory.Before theexperiment,most students only apply templates and focus on vocabulary and grammar.Only a few students use their existing textual knowledge for continuation writing.Afterthe experiment,most students report that they have developed the habit of starting withsentence clusters,paying attention to the entire text,clarifying the main idea of the article,understanding the information conveyed by the first sentence of the continuation writing,and predicting the writing trajectory.At the same time,they apply the expression skills inthe text to writing,enrich their expression,and develop the habit of revising the contentwith the theoretical knowledge they have mastered after the writing is completed.
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