An Investigation Into College Students' Perception Of English Writing Classroom Environment

In recent years,classroom environment,as a hot topic in the academic field of education,has beengiven much attention.Educators commonly acknowledge the great importance of learning process for learning effect.Classroom environment,as the most direct learning process factor,however,is evidently significant.Some scholars have conducted research on college comprehensive English and oral English classroom environment in the field of applied linguistics,but writing classroom environment has not been investigated.On the basis ofclassroom environment inventory at home and abroad,combined with the characteristics of college English writing class in China,the college students' English writing classroom environment evaluation questionnaire is designed to servefortheresearch in addition,sophomores majoringin Englishfrom5 collegesanduniversitieswereselectedassubjectsin Hengyang(includi ngleadinguniversity,ordinarycollegeandautonomouscollege)toparticipateinthequestionnaire surveyand Englishwritingtest.Classobservationand interviewwerealsoemployedfordatacollection,and all these work together to explore the general condition of students' perception of English writing classroom environment,analyze the relationship between classroom environment and students' writing level,differences of English writing classroom environment perceived by students of different genders,differences of English writing classroom environment perceived by students in universities of different types as well as differences of English writing classroom environment perceived by students of different English writing levels.Through the quantitative analysis of the data from questionnaire survey and English writing test,and the qualitative analysis of the information from class observation and interview for the complement,thefollowing findings can be generated:first,the perception of English classroom environment of English majors are commonly higher than non-English majors'.English majors have strong perception of class cohesion and equality,while they have low perception of class participation and peer cooperation;second,seven factors(class cohesion,teacher support,task orientation class participation,peer cooperation,equality and innovation)in the classroom environment all have a significant positive linear correlation with writing level,among which students' perception of equality and task orientation is the highest while their perception of class participation and peer cooperation is the lowest;third,on the average perception,females are higher than males,which illustrates females are more satisfied than males with college English writing class and they take more positive attitude towards the class.In class cohesion,teacher support,task orientation,and innovation,the perception differences between males and females are significantly obvious,while in class participation,peer cooperation,equality,it is not the case;fourth,the subjects' perception of peer cooperation among different universities is not obviously different but in the other six factors,namely teacher support,class participation,task orientation,equality and innovation all show significant differences;fifth,in the class cohesion,peer cooperation and innovation,there are no significant differences among students of four proficiency levels,but in the other four factors,there are slightdifferences.Based on the research,teachers should give full play to digging out the positive factors and overcome negative factors in English writing class,striving for create positive English writing classroom environment,stimulating the learners' motivation to writing learning,and promoting their English writing skills.