Chapter One Introduction
1.1 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 metacognition.For 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.
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1.2 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.
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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.
2.1 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).
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2.2 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.
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Chapter Three Research Methodology....19
3.1 Research Questions ....19
3.2 Participants.......19
3.3 Instruments.......20
3.3.1 Questionnaire .......20
3.3.2 Samples of English Academic Writing....22
3.4 Data Collection Procedure ........22
3.5 Data Analysis ........23
Chapter Four Results and Discussion......24
4.1 State of Non-English-Major Doctoral Candidates in Metacognitive ....24
4.2 Influences of Metacognitive Control of Non-English-Major Doctoral Candidates....27
4.3 Types of Metacognitive Experience of Non-English-Major Doctoral Candidates .......31
Chapter Five Conclusion.....35
5.1 Main Findings of the Study .......35
5.2 Implications for English Academic Writing .......37
5.3 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 4.1, 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 4.2, 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.
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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 writing.The 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.
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The reference (omitted)