A Study On The Impact Of Topical Knowledge On FL Learners' Writing Performance In The Listening-Writing Test

In recent years, a new test form of writing has emerged. It is the listening-writing test form in TOEFL. In this kind of writing test, test takers are asked to listen to a text which can provide them with some topical knowledge of a writing topic. And they are asked to write an essay of a certain number of words within the allotted time based on the listening passage. The listening material which could provide test takers with topical knowledge could deal with the unsatisfactory situation due to the insufficiency of topical knowledge, and then the reliability of the test is increased.The basic language skills include listening, speaking, reading, and writing. By listening and reading, one can recruit various kinds of information. By speaking and writing one should analyze information and express one's own opinion. It can be seen that speaking and writing require test takers have higher language ability. Writing is related with organizing thoughts and it is a process of analyzing, comparing, so it is stricter and more exhaustive. This paper studies the influence of topical knowledge upon the writing performance of 120 high school students in the form of listening input. It is generally considered that if test takers have enough topical knowledge of a writing topic, they would be familiar with the topic, and then they would understand the listening input material easily and feel free when writing. Thus while improving students'language ability, teachers should also strengthen students'topical knowledge. Only in this way can improve students'writing performance comprehensively. This thesis mainly deals with the influence of topical knowledge information in the listening-writing test on the Chinese high school students'writing performance. Based upon the results of data analysis, conclusion can be made:topical knowledge plays an important role in writing. Listening input information provides the test takers with necessary help. Reinforcing topical knowledge can improve students'writing performance. In the last part of the thesis, it talks over the enlightenments for teaching practice and other elements which may have effects on test takers' writing performance.