Developing Senior Students' Written Competence From A Stylistic Perspective

This thesis seeks to argue for the great necessity and usefulness of stylistic theory in achieving senior students' written competence and for its urgent application in EFL teaching. The author lays special emphasis on the advantages and effectiveness of applying stylistic theories.Firstly, the thesis analyzes the existing problems in senior students' writing and points out the disadvantages of traditional English writing teaching. Owing to the development of stylistic requirements for writing in the latest Curriculum Criteria and dissatisfactory English writing teaching mode, it's vitally necessary to explore English writing teaching from the perspective of stylistics. The new teaching method is superior to the traditional one. Therefore, the author suggests the application of stylistic theory to EFL teaching and follows a three-phase process of guided writing, free writing and creative writing so as to improve students' written competence more effectively.Secondly, the thesis provides an introduction to stylistic notions and analyzes the correlation between application of these theories and students' written competence. The author respectively explains some important notions, such as stylistics, style, genre and context. Stylistics is mainly concerned with the appropriate use of language in different situations. It shifts attention from "correctness" to "appropriateness".Thirdly, the thesis elaborates the teaching practice in which teachers applystylistic theory to improving students' written competence. According to classification of stylistic function and genre, teachers use writing materials inside or outside NMET to train, consolidate and intentionally instruct students' writing at four levels: generically, lexically, syntactically and discoursally. As students' knowledge is on the increase, English writing teaching may move gradually from guided writing through free Writing to eventual creative writing. On the basis of stylistic theory, the thesis puts forward a four-step teaching procedure, namely input and preparation, output, correction and appraisal.In conclusion, there is much close interplay between stylistic theories and EFL teaching. It's obvious that stylistic theory can facilitate English language teaching at middle schools. In the process of teaching, it is necessary to bring advantages of stylistics into full play and develop students' written competence in a planned way so as to improve students' written communicative competence eventually. Besides, the author raises some reflections and makes suggestions for further study research.