The Dynamic Changes Of Complexity And Accuracy In The Written English

With the accelerated process of economic globalization, more and more Sino-foreign joint ventures have been established, and the cooperation with foreigners also becomes more and more frequently, so English writing ability plays a very important role in people’s daily life and work in modern times. Therefore, English writing skills become very important. Most scholars at home and abroad have conducted the cross-sectional researches to investigate the subjects’ability of English writing, but fewer dynamic longitudinal studies have been carried out.In this study, four students from Marine Engineering School of Dalian Maritime University have been studied for three semesters to explore their characteristics in writing with regard to the complexity and accuracy at different stages of learning. And this research is intended to provide a guide for improving the English teaching and the students’English writing skills.The findings of the present study are as follows. Firstly, the development paths of complexity and accuracy in written English are non-linear and unstable. Secondly, the developmental paths of complexity and accuracy are uneven. That is to say, at a certain stage, the subjects pay more attention to the complexity, leading to a decline in the accuracy rate, and vice versa. In addition, at some stages, the complexity and accuracy can also develop or decline at the same time with different degrees. Thirdly, there are a variety of factors that affect these changes, including the internal and external factors. This study explains the three influencing factors, that is, external environment, the language and learners. The interactions of these factors bring about the changes of complexity and accuracy in written English.The results of the study show some pedagogical implications for English learning and teaching as well as some limitations.