Tea Ching Writing To Efl Students Across A Multiple-level Model

Most foreign language instructors recognize the complexities involved in acquiring native-like writing competence in foreign language learning. This realization has revealed that EFL students on writing need to cope with linguistic constraints, writing knowledge deficiencies as well as cognitive load on the levels of the text, paragraphs, sentences, and even words. So in order to solve these writing problems, EFL students need to be provided with certain topic or content knowledge and discourse knowledge, and to be trained in cognitive space-saving strategies like planning, evaluation and revision at the appropriate place and on the levels of ideation in the process of writing. Basing on the process genre approaches. the author puts forward a hypothetical model梜now] edge-process-strategy. The model identifies three components of writing: the knowledge of topic and discourse, strategy manipulation, including planning evaluation and revision training, and the processes themselves, which comprise pro-writing (generating ideas organizing), drafting and post-writing, involving reviewing and editing. The potential for transition between processes is represented in the model by strategies manipulation, which serves as mental tools that guide higher-level and lower-level choices. Writers7 internal variables (cognitive styles條earning and writing styles and personality-related variables) interact \vuh the composing processes. making the whole an interactive. responsive model. Since the manipulation of the knowledge-process-strategy model is based on the global level, it helps writers process the information and knowledge on the whole global organization in writing. One of the central insights of the model is that writing is embedded in a social situation, therefore, it elicits the awareness of audience and purpose. Strategy operation is emphasized in the mode!. so it turns strategy training into a reality in teaching and learning foreign languages. Mechanics consideration in lexemes, spelling and grammar serves for the clarity of meaning in the model, therefore this meaning-related model guarantees the coherence of the text. In building the knowledge-process-strategy model. individual factors like cognitive st\lcs. including learning and writing styles and other personal related aspects should be considered. So it requires teachers to act as diagnosticians. coordinators, and coaches and mediatoisinstead of authorities and instructors. There is no need to burden students with the troublesome terminology for learning the terms in the model. Teachers should help students to monitor their own metacognitive system in writing. Analyzing texts before writing can elicit students?attention to the structure and the theme of the texts. The introduction of the Thinking Sheets in the process of writing can help students gain the awareness of audience and purpose and monitor their own \~riting on the basis of meaning-related aspects. Writing is a complicated cognitive process. Knowledge and strategies are interacted at multiple levels, neither of which can be ignored in writing.