二语写作认知心理策略研究

有关二语写作策略的研究始于上世纪80年代,但大多涉及跨语言性普遍策略,而缺少对外语写作者特别是中国学生的研究。考察不同二语水平的三组学生使用写作策略的情况发现,认知和元认知策略的使用构成了学生写作过程中的主要活动;英语水平越高,高频率使用的写作策略的数量就越少;在多数写作策略的使用上,组与组之间存在或递增、或递减、或先升后降、或先降后升的趋势。上述现象与研究性质、编码系统、母语思维、二语水平和写作教学现状等因素有关,这说明二语写作是个极其复杂的认知心理过程,写作策略的使用情况意味着写作过程的流畅与否,一定程度上预示着写作者是否已经跨过二语水平的门槛。

A Study of Strategy Use in L2 Writing Processes

Ever since 1980s, a number of studies have been conducted on writing strategies in L2 writing processes, with their focus on common strategies regardless of language, though. Given the lack of studies on foreign language learners and Chinese students in particular, this study explored the adoption of strategies in English writing processes by three groups of students at different L2 proficiency levels. It has been found that the use of cognitive and metacognitive strategies made up the largest part of students' writing activities. A general descending tendency was identified, from the least proficient to the most proficient, in terms of the number and the frequency of writing strategies adopted, together with patterned cross-group features in the use of some specific strategies either in ascending, descending, ascending-descending or descending-ascending tendency. Such phenomena are discussed in correlation with the nature of studies, the coding scheme adopted, students' medium of thoughts, and the status quo of writing instructions. They jointly indicate how smooth a writing process is and, to a certain degree, suggest if a student has surpassed the threshold of L2 proficiency for effective use of writing strategies.