A Study On The Relationship Between English Writing Strategies, Cognitive Styles And Writing Outcomes Of Chinese Non-English Majors

This study aims to discover what strategy college students apply in English writing, the relationship between writing strategies and writing outcomes as well as the effect of students' cognitive style on their choice of writing strategies and their ultimate writing achievements.The investigation consists of a quantitative study and a qualitative study. The subjects were 60 sophomores at Liaoning Normal University. They were asked to complete a writing assignment, one questionnaire about English writing strategies and a cognitive style test in class. Four main statistical instruments from SPSS10.0 were used: cluster analysis, descriptive analysis, independent-samples T-test, and correlation analysis. 6 students were selected by means of random sampling in the interview in qualitative study. The interview records were used as means of triangulation accompanying the quantitative study.The study produced the following major findings. First, (1) good writers score much higher in all aspects of writing than average and poor writers. (2) Successful writers outperform the other two groups in both the quantity and the variety of conjunctions used.Second, (1) Memory strategies are used most frequently in Chinese non-English majors' writing, compensation strategies the next, while affective strategies given the least attention. As for the specific writing strategies, using discourse connectives is most frequently used, discussing feelings with others is the least. (2) Good writers differ from poor writers in the use of strategies of adjusting or approximating the message, using circumlocution or synonym, discussing feelings with others, and empathizing with others. The distinction between the good and average writers exists in their use of revising strategy. The discrepancy between the average and poor writers is reflected in that the latter use outlining strategy more frequently.Third, the relationship between writing strategies and its outcomes is rather weak. The strategy of using circumlocution or synonym has positive correlations with the sub-scores of vocabulary and grammar. The translating strategy is negatively correlated with the sub-score of grammar, while the outlining strategy has a negative correlation with that of content.Fourth, field independent students use strategies more frequently than those with comprehensive or field dependent cognitive style except for affective strategies. Learners' cognitive style is positively correlated with their ultimate writing achievements.