Studies On Output Theory And Its Implications For EFL Writing Teaching And Learning In China

Nowadays major concern has gradually turned to developing students'communicative competence in EFL teaching and leaning in China. In terms of communication, writing ability should be regarded as an integral part of one's communicative competence. As one of output abilities, writing ability has always been poor for Chinese students in colleges and universities. To solve this problem of how to develop students'writing ability, special attention is given to the output theory in this thesis. The author tries to draw some implications which can be used for reference for the English teachers who wish to improve students'EFL writing ability. Since the mid-1980s, more and more researchers have paid increasing attention to the importance and significance of output in foreign language teaching and learning. The Output Hypothesis proposed by Canadian applied linguist Merril Swain states that the concept of comprehensible input may well be important for second language learning, but is insufficient to account for second language acquisition. She claims that output plays three functions, i.e. noticing / triggering function, hypothesis-testing function and meta-linguistic function. Of the three functions, noticing / triggering function is particularly important. Furthermore, this paper accounts for the Output Hypothesis from cognitive perspective, which mainly focuses on noticing / triggering function. From above, Swain's Output Hypothesis is implicative to EFL writing teaching and learning in China. In order to improve Chinese students'writing proficiency, it is suggested that we concentrate on raising students'awareness in EFL writing process. We may do as the followings: (a) Improving students'writing ability by providing sufficient reading input; (b) Focusing more on output-based activities to raise students'awareness in EFL writing; (c) Feedback should be attached importance to in EFL writing teaching; (d) Encouraging self-reflection and developing autonomy in EFL writing teaching and learning.