A Comparative Study On The Product And Process Approach In EFL College English Context In China

The study investigated whether product approach is more effective than process approach in EFL college English context in China. It was hypothesized that 1) both product approach and process approach to writing instruction contribute to the gains of writing proficiency for Chinese EFL college English students; and 2) in the very distinctive EFL context in China, product approach to writing instruction is more effective than process approach to college students. 64 Chinese college EFL students participated in the study as subjects. They were divided into two groups, for which product and process approaches were respectively provided. Both groups were required to take a pretest at the beginning of the experiment to decide on their writing proficiency, and two posttests were given at an interval of about six weeks to reveal the change as exactly as possible. At the same time, two questionnaires were designed and distributed before and after the experiment, mostly for the purpose of examining the changes in the participants with regard to their attitudes towards writing. The two groups were compared in terms of the scores on the tests. The results showed that the group under the product writing instruction achieved higher rate of gains in writing proficiency than the group under the process writing instruction, apart from the finding that both groups achieved significant growth in writing. The study suggests that whatever methods and approaches applied in language teaching should take into account the distinctions between ESL and EFL, and the cultural and social background of students in China should be an essential factor in determining the specific approach adopted...