| The sociocultural theory was proposed by L.S. Vygotsky who was the psychologist of the former Soviet Union. In recent years, the sociocultural theory has been widely used in the research of second language acquisition in the West. Under the perspective of the relationship between the language development and social interaction, the sociocultural theory studies the second language acquisition. It presents a brand-new light for us to study second language acquisition. The sociocultural theory is different from the traditional second language acquisition. It connects the language learner’s social environment with the process of language acquisition. Socialization and language acquisition is no longer separated from the language environment. For the second language acquisition, language development happens in the process of social interaction. The activity theory, the mediation theory, and the zone of proximal development theory consist of the core theory of the sociocultural theory. Based on the mediation theory, mediated effect is realized by two means: tools or signs. People control and adjust their external behavior through tool and adjust inner consciousness through language symbols. A kind of indirect mediated relationship between the human and the world is established through the human language and symbols.The core of the sociocultural theory-the higher mental intelligence of human being is realized through mediation. Language learning belongs to the category of the advanced mental intelligence. Specifically, the process of second language acquisition of writing is that the learners using tools and language study writing in social interaction.The aim of this thesis is to research whether the mediation theory application into business English writing teaching can play a positive role in business English teaching and students’ score improvement. Experiment is expected that the students can use the mediated method to complete the business English writing through practicing and training. During the process, students’ business English writing ability can be improved and the ultimate goal that is to improve students’ business English writing score can be achieved. To verify the validity of experimental method, the experiment which was designed based on the mediation theory and was applied into the teaching activities in class or relevant tests.The subjects of this study were sophomores of business English major. This comparative experiment was carried out in the form of elective course between the experimental class and the control class. Several research methods were used, such as interview, tests, process log and stimulated recall. Finally, the qualitative and quantitative analyses were made to the final data selected during the experiment.This research mainly answers these two questions:1. After applying the mediation theory to the business English writing class, whether the students master to use the mediation methods to complete their business writing?2. Under the mediated effect, whether the students’ business English writing level and performance is improved?Though the qualitative and quantitative analysis of the experimental data, it’s not difficult for us to come to the following conclusion: students in the experimental class performed better than the students in control class from the aspects of the usage of business vocabulary, sentence pattern and the final total score. So we can say that the mediated method applied to business English writing class can observably improve the business English major students’ business English writing ability and level and improve the students’ interest towards the business English writing as well. Through systematic training, students can apply the mediation theory and method in writing exercises after class independently and consciously. So, it is necessary for business English writing teachers to introduce the mediation method into the business English writing class to improve students’ proficiency of business English writing. |
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