A Research On Avoidance Phenomenon In English Writing In Senior High School

English writing, for a long time, has been one of the weak links of English teaching in senior high schools. Restrict rules are required regarding the accuracy of grammar, diction, syntax and punctuation of all sorts in English writing, which will be something difficult for millions of high school students. Therefore, to explore ways to improve English writing teaching remains a concern to educators. But in reality students' performance in writing is actually barely satisfactory for due attention has not been paid to it in the process of teaching English. And the use of avoidance strategies is one of the factors contributing to it. Seen from many students' writing exercises, they have less likelihood of making mistakes in grammar and language points. Yet the overall wording and sentence pattern throughout their writings are relatively easy. This is what the students avoid using those more accurate but more difficult expression, deliberately or unintentionally. On one hand, the proper use of avoidance strategies can help language learners keep the communication channels unblocked and further to overcome the communication barrier. On the other hand, if uncontrolled use expands, there will no doubt be some negative impacts on students' language studying. In order to make students face avoidance phenomenon squarely, this study tries to discuss the manifestation and characteristics of avoidance phenomenon of high school students in English writing and has a general idea of its causes and potential influence, which will effectively help to provide referential teaching strategies for English teachers to reduce the avoidance phenomenon in English writing.On the basis of the analysis and summary of theories in relation to the avoidance phenomenon at home and abroad, the data of this study are collected from Wuzhou Senior High School. A total of 120 students of grade two in two classes are taken as the subjects of the study. The avoidance phenomenon within two writing practice, involving 240 pieces of compositions are analyzed and researched. The text analysis and interview are taken as the dominant research tools, supplemented by multiple-choice test. Through research methods of qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis, this paper will probe into the following questions:1) In what aspects is the avoidance phenomenon reflected in the English writing of high school students? 2) Why is this happening? Following are the main results obtained in the study:1) Avoidance found in writing of senior high school students is mainly existing in words and sentence patterns.2) As an objective existence, avoidance has been influenced by various factors in theory and practice like the negative transfer of the mother tongue, the shortage of language input and the traditional ways conducted in assessing compositions, etc.From the above findings, suggestions are proposed on how to improve English writing instruction in senior high school. First, teachers should increase foreign language input and enhance students' productive competence. Second, in regard to the vocabulary teaching, various teaching forms and methods should be taken into account. For instance, constructing a lexical semantic network. Third, traditional evaluation approaches should be reformed. Fourth, teachers should have higher tolerance for learners'errors. Fifth, more importance should be attached to the cultural dimension to deal with "invisible avoidance".To conclude, this paper points out its limitation and offers suggestions on research orientation in the future.