Research on the second writing process

The process of writing a composition consists of two distinct parts. The first begins when a student views the composition topic and ends when s/he hands in the composition; the second writing process begins when the student receives a marked draft of the composition, and ends when s/he revises the composition.;The present study aims to investigate student performance in the second writing process, in order to construct a model for the process. By examining the performance of both high and low ability students, this study attempts to determine the existence of ability differences, specific to the second writing process. Furthermore, if differences are found, this study will attempt to find causal factors for these differences. The factors affecting performance can also be incorporated into the model for the second writing process.;This study confirmed that students were able to revise their compositions in the second writing process (including point, linear, face, and structural revision), improving the overall quality of their work. Teacher comments were also an effective stimulus for revision, allowing students to focus on specific aspects that require improvement. Therefore, a composition is not complete without the second writing process.;In addition to verifying the importance of the second writing process, the experiment also validated the proposed model for the second writing process. Students undergo three main phases in the second writing process---detection, diagnosis, and revision. The entire writing process is not a linear, chronological activity, but rather an interaction between the three phases. The students' thoughts were actively engaged in the above three dimensions. Each dimension influences and interacts with the others, to complete the second writing process.;High ability and low ability students differed in performance in the second writing process. Each group exhibited distinct characteristics that paralleled their respective performance in the first writing process. Causes for these differences include---writing ability, creativity, teacher comments (reader consciousness), meta-cognition, etc. Performance in the second writing process is also a good indicator of a student's general writing ability. High ability students demonstrated creativity in their second revision. Low ability students were not outstanding in their performance. This demonstrates that student performance in the second writing process accurately reflects their writing ability. Hence, performance in the second writing process could be an indicator in the assessment of student writing ability. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).