On The Effects Of Chinese And English Language Habits On ESL Writing

Habits are repetitive and consciously or unconsciously laws of daily behaviors, and using language is a behavioral process of thinking. Language habits influence thinking. From the angle of writing, every kind of language expresses knowledge, ideas, and feelings with a unique habit. Chinese and English belong to different types of language and linguistic systems, which determines the two linguistic systems present different cultural thought pattern. These distinctions influence and constrain the second language learners'writing ability.The second language wring research was developed after American applied linguist, Kaplan, put forward the "contrastive rhetoric" in 1966. The ESL writing study in China began later. Still, there exist many serious problems about the second language writing both in pedagogy and students'writing ability. In teaching, product is paid more attention to than to process; vocabulary, structure and grammar are emphasized much more than culture, thought pattern and personal factors which also affect the writing process and ability. Still, the assessment of learner's composition is just the correction of the vocabulary and grammar errors. In learning, students place lopsided emphasis on large vocabulary but ignore the usage of them and lack the accumulation and knowledge for the features and habitual expression of the target language. As a result, students are becoming afraid of writing, lazy in writing, getting in trouble in writing, and incapable of writing well. In the 1980s, many researchers studied the second language writing and found out that different language features and thinking habits influence second language learners'writing ability.Based on the previous study, this thesis tries to make a contrastive analysis of the different language habits according to the research achievements of comparative linguistics and contrastive rhetoric, and analyze the elements which influence the language habits and their relations to language, and explore the connation of language habits and its influences on Chinese students'English writing. Finally, the thesis provides strategies for cultivating language habits to improve English writing ability. The theoretical significance lies in providing a new thinking for ESL writing teaching, and furthermore enriches the ESL writing theory. Practically, this thesis contributes to conducting the ESL learners to write in more native-like language.This thesis is composed of five chapters.Chapter 1, introduction, from the concept of language habit, briefly introduces the research background, proposes the necessity of the research, and introduces the aims, significances and research method of the present study.Chapter 2 is the literature review. Firstly, the related theories are introduced. Secondly, this thesis reviews the study on L2 writing both abroad and home and concludes the contributions and limitations of the previous study. Based on those, the author puts forward the research intention:the effects of different language habits in Chinese and English on the second language writing.Chapter 3 analyzes the language habits of Chinese and English from seven aspects. This part will be expounded through contrastive analysis, and in the content, the author analyzes the hidden factors behind language habits and simultaneously elaborate the effects of those differences on language and writing.Based on the analysis of chapter three, Chapter 4 explores the negative influences of language habits on Chinese students'English writing. Furthermore, some strategies are given to the students for improving their L2 ability.Finally, the thesis draws a conclusion, including the theoretical and practical significances of the findings, simultaneously points out the limitations of the present research, and pedagogical implications for L2 writing and finally the suggestions for further research.In a word, with the method of contrastive analysis, this study explores the connation of language habits and analyzes the distinctions in Chinese and English and their influences on ESL writing. The findings are significant in theory and practice. On the one hand, the research provides a new perspective in researching L2 writing. On the other hand, it provides implications for teaching L2 writing, and it is beneficial to improving the L2 learners'English writing ability.