College English Writing Assisted By Computers

This thesis is a tentative endeavor to synthesize the merits of CALL studies thuj far made in the world and to make up for the deficiencies of the achievements in CET, with a focus on writing. To address that topic, a comparative approach is employed as general framework for the research work.To start with, the thesis makes an overview of the development of CALL and its application for writing. CALL, the studies and researches on using computers in language teaching, began in 1960s. It is closely linked with computer technology and teaching theories. Its development may be divided into three stages: behaviorist CALL, communicative CALL, and integrative CALL. Now, it plays an important role in language teaching and learning.The author believes Constructivism and Autonomous Learning theory are two influential theories for CALL use in China. Constructive teaching theory, based on Piaget's "reconstructing" theory, focuses on discovering learning, meaning learning, and collaborative learning, and promotes learner-centered teaching. Teachers serve in the new role of guides, monitors, coaches, tutors and facilitators. Other than providing and explaining the content, teachers should design a proper context, facilitate related information, arrange collaborative study and so on, to help students reconstruct meaning by themselves. Autonomous Learning theory came into being in the 1960s when there were debates about the development of lifelong learning skills and independent thinking. It encourages students to take charge of their own learning. Since there is a tradition of teacher-fronted and cramming teaching in China, it is extremely important to spread this kind of theories. In addition, owing to the advanced computer technology and improved conditions in most institutes, it is also financially and technically possible now.The computer has shown its potential in writing teaching and learning thoughit is not widely realized by college English teachers. There are various ways to use computers for writing, mainly in two fields: software and the Internet. Software such as word processors and courseware has been used for years, thus it is more popular. E-mail, fast and convenient, is spreading rapidly. And the Internet, a hot topic in the world, is on the list of exploration. Generally, there are two approaches to use computers: one is a face-to-face teaching mode, that is, teachers use mu'ti-media classrooms or computer labs to improve writing teaching; the other is self-access learning mode, that is, students learn to write by attending network-based writing courses, visiting on-line writing laboratories and on-line writing websites, or joining in network-based projects and so on. In this way, a learner may never meet the teacher and other learners in person. The author of the thesis supports the idea that a blending of the two, the "computer + teacher" mode, should be adopted in CET.It is very beneficial to teach writing with CALL. It enriches teaching content and tools, broadens teaching approaches, and makes individual learning possible. However, the negative aspects of it caused by the openness of networks should be carefully treated. The role of teachers should never be neglected. In fact, the high demand of CALL in the aspects of teachers is a barrier to its development.The thesis continues to discuss the present CET from three aspects: general writing competence requirements for college students, writing in CET, and the Writing Process Approach. With its powerful functions, rich resources and new communication approaches, the computer brings writing teaching good fortune. It is honpful to solve some present problems in CET and to meet the needs of the society. Therefore, it is necessary to integrate computers into CET.On the basis of the above discussion, the author suggests a new approach-College English Writing Assisted by Computers (CEWAC). It is a new approach to integrating CALL into CET, with Constructivism, Autonomous Learning and Process Writing Approach as its guiding theories. In this approach, students learn t...