非英语专业博士生学术英语写作中的元认知因素研究
Chapter One Introduction
Research Background
The research on metacognition of EFL (English as a foreign
language) writing has been started earlier abroad. Some foreign
scholars found from the investigation of college students
that metacognition was related to EFL achievements, to
some extent (Devine, et al., 1993). Garner (1994) thought that
only on the basis of setting the learning progress objectives
could students control, regulate and monitor their own
progress via metacognition. Later, Victori’s research on
the English majors of Spain (1999) showed that metacognitve
knowledge had the important influences on the success and
failure of the second language. The domestic research on the
writing metacognition at home is also focused on the
relations between metacognition and EFL writing
achievements. In addition to the important influences of
metacognitive knowledge and strategy on writing
achievements, influences of metacognitive experience on
writing achievements have also been studied and more
and more researches have been done on postgraduates.
However, it is still a blank in the research on doctoral
candidates’ EFL writing many years, a
series of reforms have been carried out in college
English teaching of our country. There have been a lot of
research achievements at the stages of undergraduates and
postgraduates. However, there is a lack of research on
the cultivation of non-English-major doctoral candidates’
English abilities and English teaching. With more and more
international academic exchanges, non-English-major doctoral
candidates’ academic achievements should be “brought out” if
they intend to develop their academy, which has presented
a higher requirement for doctoral candidates’ applied
ability of English. In another word, non-English-major doctoral
candidates’ English proficiency plays an important role
in their academic development, especially in international
environment. In all the aspects of language application, the use
of English in academic writing is undoubtedly the most realistic
and urgent one for doctoral candidates. “English
academic writing is the English writing involving common
characteristics of academic contextual of natural sciences and
social sciences.”(Zhang Xiaojun, 2008) English academic
writing is at the advanced stage of English learning,
prepared for the use of English for academic research.
With the increase of international academic exchanges,
the requirements for non-English-major doctoral candidates
using English for academic writing and exchanges will be
continuously improved. Therefore, it is urgent and
practical to study doctoral candidates’ English academic
writing.
.....
Significance of the Research
Firstly, there are few researches on the influences of
metacognition on English academic writing of non-English-
major doctoral candidates. According to the research of
this thesis, not only can the state of metacognitive knowledge
of English academic writing of non-English-major doctoral
candidates be understood but also their metacognitive
control and metacognitive experience can be cognized. Secondly,
according to the research, the application of metacognition
theory can be extended in the field of EFL writing
theoretically on the one hand and the blank of the
metacognition research in the field of doctoral candidates’
English academic writing can be filled in on the other
hand. The research achievements of the thesis can be
applied to doctoral candidates’ learning and teaching of
English academic writing for reference and instruction. It
is aimed at improving the proficiency of English
academic writing of doctoral candidates so as to make
them create greater achievements in the international
academic exchanges.
.......
Chapter Two Literature Review
In the recent thirty years, metacognition is not
only the research focus in the field of psychology but
also affects some other fields such as education to
some extent. Because of English as the official language
in the world, the upsurge of learning English throughout
the world tends to be continuously rising. Many
countries and regions have realized that English education must
be strengthened to improve people’s English proficiency if they
want to get a stronger discourse power on the international
stage, which is also the need of adapting to the times
background of globalization. The feasible methods and
theoretical support are naturally needed to strengthen English
education and improve English proficiency. By now, a
lot of studies of influences of metacognition on EFL
acquisition have been done at home and abroad. According to the
metacognition theory, empirical studies have been done from
English listening, speaking, reading, writing and translation
and some precious research findings have been made, which play
an instructive role of English learning and teaching. Therefore,
metacognition has a very high research value in the fields of
EFL acquisition and language teaching. In addition, there are
lots of studies done on metacognition and EFL writing. They
were focused on the influences of metacognition on
English writing proficiency. The research subjects were
mainly undergraduates, including English majors and non-
English majors, so were postgraduates. However, there is
few researches on metacognition of doctoral candidates’
EFL writing. As for doctoral candidates, what they
actually need is English academic writing and they use
English to accomplish academic writing of their majors.
English academic writing is one type of EFL writing and
metacognition of EFL writing naturally have certain
influences on it to some extent. Thus, it has practical
meaning for this thesis to do research on the factor
of metacognition on English academic writing of non-English-
major doctoral candidates and the research findings can be
applied to English academic writing of non-English-major
doctoral candidates for reference in the future.
Metacognition
In 1976, Flavell from Stanford University in US put
forward the term “metacognition” according to the
concept of meta, and then, the research on metacognition
theory quickly expanded all over the world with profound
influences. The research on metacognition was extended
from psychology to education. Metacognition has great
influences on language teaching and acquisition. Not
only does it influence language comprehension, memory and
application but also the efficiency of language learning
and solution of problems (Park, 2005:2). The
metacognition theory is also helpful for the teachers to
instruct students’ strategic learning in class (Borkowski &
Muthukrishna, 1992:253-257).
........
English Academic Writing
English for Academic Purposes (EAP) is a new teaching and
research concept in the field of English Language
Teaching. Its research object is the learners’ academic
communicative capability. EAP is a language teaching
model whose purpose is to teach language knowledge and skills
needed for academic English. It mainly helps learners improve
their comprehensive ability of language for the study of
specialized courses, including some general language knowledge
and skills of all the disciplines and specialties such as
academic writing, academic discussion, literature review,
reading and presentation of theses (Zeng Jianbin, et
al., 2013). English academic writing is one of the important
components of EAP. In recent years, more and more importance
has been attached to it. In the international academic
exchanges, the level of EAP has played an important
role in showing one’s own academic achievements.
....
Chapter Three Research Methodology....19
Research Questions ....19
Participants.......19
Instruments.......20
Questionnaire .......20
Samples of English Academic Writing....22
Data Collection Procedure ........22
Data Analysis ........23
Chapter Four Results and Discussion......24
State of Non-English-Major Doctoral Candidates in
Metacognitive ....24
Influences of Metacognitive Control of Non-
English-Major Doctoral Candidates....27
Types of Metacognitive Experience of Non-English-
Major Doctoral Candidates .......31
Chapter Five Conclusion.....35
Main Findings of the Study .......35
Implications for English Academic Writing .......37
Limitations and Suggestions for Further Study
.......38
Chapter Four Results and Discussion
In this chapter, data will be analyzed according to the
questionnaires and samples. First, the author will describe
the present state of metacognitive knowledge of English
academic writing of the doctoral candidates; second, discuss the
influences of metacognitive control on English academic writing;
finally, summarize the types of metacognitive experience of
English academic writing and discuss the influences on English
academic writing. From Table , it can be seen that the
average level of the investigated doctoral candidates of
metacognitive knowledge of English academic writing as a whole
is at the middle level. From Table , it can be seen
that the levels of metacognitive knowledge of some items
are high, for example, the frequent reading of English academic
papers of one's major and accumulation of learning can improve
the proficiency of English academic writing; but the levels of
some items are low, for example, the evaluation of one’s
proficiency of English academic writing.
.........
Conclusion
With the statistical analysis of the metacognitive
questionnaires of English academic writing and the
samples of English academic papers of the doctoral
candidates, the author described the present state of
metacognition of English academic writing and has found
that there is a positive correlation between
metacognitive control and the quality of English academic
writing and there is a negative correlation between
metacognitive experience and the quality of English
academic metacognitive knowledge of English
academic writing of the doctoral candidates is at the
middle level. They make some preparations, read English
academic papers of their majors and grasp the patterns of
English academic writing through self-study before writing,
which is good for the completion of English academic
writing; the main purpose of the doctoral candidates
doing English academic writing is to publish their own
research achievements so as to achieve their personal academic
development. It is for such a main purpose that they pay
attention to dealing with topics and expressing their
viewpoints from the perspective of readers in order to
achieve the readers’approval, so they have the
awareness of readers; they are confident in English
academic writing and they believe that they can improve
their writing proficiency through accumulation of learning and
meet the standard of publication so as to make their academic
dreams come true.
.........
The reference (omitted)
