ABSTRACT

In the process of learning English, we must master four basic skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing, but among them , writing is a basic method to measure the competence of language producing and learning. It is the embodiment of student’s comprehensive ability and one of the standards to measure the teaching effect. While argumentative writing is the genre that be widely used by students and often appears in various English exams. At the same time, compared with other three writing genres, argumentative writing has higher requirements on accuracy of language and logicality of content, so that the teaching of argumentative writing receives more concern from English teaching practitioners.

The traditional writing approach is mainly focused on teachers, the purpose of teaching is to consolidate the language of students, but the teaching method emphasizes one link of language learning one-sided, which leads to the students’ ambiguity of aims and a lack of writing motivation and awareness. In 1980s, a new language teaching method called task-based teaching method that emphasizes “learning by doing” has emerged. Through the analysis of research situations at home and abroad, the thesis studies the task design of English major students’ argumentative writing in terms of task-based teaching theory. By selecting and analyzing twenty pieces of argumentative writing task designs in TEM-4, TEM-8, TOEFL, and IELTS, the thesis is aimed at getting information about rules that should be followed when it 

comes to designing scientific and reasonable tasks and providing constructive reference for the teaching practice of argumentative writing. 

Key words: Task-based Language Teaching; Argumentative Writing of English Majors; Task Design

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ABSTRACT

摘要

Chapter One  INTRODUCTION-1

1.1 Background of the Study-1

1.2 Purpose of the Study-2

1.3 Significance of the Study-2

1.4 Outline of the Study-4

Chapter Two  LITERATURE REVIEW-5

2.1 Nature of Argumentative Writing-5

2.2 Difficulties in Argumentative Writing-5

Chapter Three  THEORETICAL FOUNDATION-7

3.1 Definitions of Task-7

3.2 Theoretical Basis of Task-based Language Teaching-9

3.3 Current Situation of Task-based Language Teaching-9

3.3.1 Researches on task-based language teaching abroad-9

3.3.2 Researches on task-based language teaching at home-10

3.4 Basic Characteristics of Task-based Language Teaching-11

3.5-Principles of Task-based Language Teaching-11

3.6 Fundamental mode of Task-based Language Teaching-12

Chapter Four  PRINCIPLES OF DESIGNING ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING TASKS-13

4.1 Types of Designing Argumentative Writing Tasks-13

4.2 Characteristics of Argumentative Writing Tasks-14

4.3 Principles of Designing Argumentative Writing Tasks-15

Chapter Five  CONCLUSION-18

5.1 Major Findings-18

5.2 Implication-18

5.3 Limitations-19

5.4 Future Research-19

REFERENCES-20