The Application Of Positive Feedback To English Writing

Writing is important and there are many reasons for us to write well. In writing skill acquisition, there is an important place for feedback. But for a long time, feedback to students' writing remains an unrewarding and tiring task for middle school teachers. Based on an investigation result, the author analyzes the problems existing in present writing feedback and the unfavorable effects on students, and points out that the feedback approach, which is found quite problem-oriented and negative, is the main attributions to many unfavorable facts, such as students' misunderstanding about writing, their difficulty awareness as well as low motivation and confidence. The paper elaborates the necessity of positive feedback to English writing, and proposes methods to nurture competent and confident learner writers.An experimental study was conducted in the No.2 Middle School of Putian City in order to determine if the positive approach will achieve favorable results. The experiment lasted about fifteen weeks and proved a great success. The study not only improved students' writing proficiency but also built up their positive writing attitudes. The author emphasizes the necessity of positive feedback to writing at the beginning stage of language learning and points out that the application of a specific method or technique in writing feedback should take into consideration such aspects as arousing writing interest, enhancing writing motivation, building up writing confidence as well as lessening nervousness and anxiety. Only in this way can the potential of a feedback approach be explored to the greatest extent and thus can the writing result be improved effectively.