The Embodied Cognitive Length Approach Based On The Event-Domain Cognitive Model

In order to solve the teaching problem that Chinese students perform better in input than in output,Wang Chuming proposed the Length Approach based on the concept of“writing for learning”,and then applied it to classroom teaching in the form of the Continuation Task,and put forward the Extension theory as the improved theory of the Length Approach.Though the Length Approach and the follow-up Extension theory have a certain superiority in overcoming learners’ writing anxiety and enhancing writing motivation,there are some doubts about its scope of application,teaching principles,teaching procedures and learning promotion effects.At the same time,since the challenges of foreign language teaching in China have not yet been fully solved,there is an urgent need to further promote the development of the Length Approach by providing a set of reasonable and comprehensive improvement so that it can play a more effective role in promoting learning.Given this,this paper,under the perspective of Embodied Cognitive Linguistics,purposes to construct Embodied Cognitive Length Approach(ECLA)in combination with the traditional Length Approach(LA)and Event-domain Cognitive Model(ECM)theory in order to fundamentally improve its inadequacies and give full play to its effectiveness in facilitating learning.In addition,this study adopts a combination of qualitative and quantitative method by conducting a three-month teaching experiment for one hundred and twenty students of non-English majors in a university in Chongqing to explore its practical effect English writing teaching.Students were divided into control class and experimental class,in which the former adopts the traditional Length Approach and the later chooses the Embodied Cognitive Length Approach.The tests,questionnaires,and interviews in the two classes were compared and analyzed to explore the ECLA’s effectiveness in college English writing instruction.This study mainly answers these questions:1)Can the Embodied Cognitive Length Approach(ECLA)provide the solution for the problems of the Length Approach in theoretical construction and specific teaching?2)Can the Embodied Cognitive Length Approach(ECLA)further improve students’ confidence and interest in writing?3)Can the Embodied Cognitive Length Approach(ECLA)contribute to the improvement of students’ writing proficiency? If so,in what aspects does the ECLA put into effect?After the analysis of data,this study confirms that:Firstly,based on the perspective of embodied cognitive linguistics,the ECLA combined with the event domain cognitive model illustrates the mechanism of the“extension” theory deeply and explains some biases of second language acquisition.Besides,the ECLA bears clear and systematic teaching procedure.Writing task focuses on the experience at first and different goals in gradual stages are selected in writing training.Moreover,the teacher evaluation and peer-assessment with the portfolio are adopted,and the final product achieves comprehensive integration of writing with reading,listening,and speaking.Secondly,it is stated by the experiment that students’ writing enthusiasm and selfconfidence are significantly improved,and the fear of writing is largely overcome.Furthermore,the writing attitude is also changed from “writing for writing” to “writing for learning” with higher autonomy.Thirdly,students can not only write longer but also write better after the ECLA’s teaching.Students’ writing is improved significantly,especially in content,structure,and language.The ECLA can also promote learning through writing,and students’ overall English proficiency has improved.