Abstract

English for Specific Purposes (ESP) writing is required as a compulsory course for English majors in many universities in China. But academic English writing instruction in undergraduate level is not effective enough due to its too much attention on the results rather than process. Regarding this phenomenon, we should take metacognition into consideration. Metacogniton involves planning and monitoring learning strategies(Flawell,1979), so it’s relate closely to learners’ learning process. Thus, metacognition which means the “cognition about cognition” should be employed in L2 learner’s writing process. Metacognition has triggered tons of attention today because of its significant role in disciplinary areas, but it has not been employed enough in the academic writing area for L2 learners especially in undergraduate level. In this paper, this author uses the genre analysis together with metacognitive framework to figure out how they are linked together to influence L2 students’ reading and writing in regard of academic texts. Focusing on the analysis of pre-service English teachers in Hangzhou Normal University, this author take a close watch of how do participants develop their ability to analyze and compose through fostering this awareness. Implication of the study shows that nearly all the leaners have developed their metacognitive awareness of genre concepts and consciously applied it into their own reading and writing experience under such an instruction. To conclude, instructing L2 learners by using the metacognition theories together with genre concepts is benefitial for fostering their reading and writing ability.

Keywords: matacognition, genre analysis, academic writing, pre-service teacher

Contents

Abstract

摘  要

1.-Literature Review-1

1.1 Background information-1

1.2 Metacogntion and ESP writing-1

1.2.1 Definitions of metacognition-1

1.2.2 Relationship between academic writing and metacognition-1

1.2.3 Importance of metacognition in ESP writing-2

1.3 Genre-based approach and ESP writing-2

1.3.1 Definitions of genre-based approach-2

1.3.2 The current situation of genre-based approach in undergraduate level-2

1.3.3 Genre awareness-3

1.4 Relationship between genre-based approach and metacognition-3

1.5 Former researches about the link between metacognition and genre-based approach-3

2. Methodology-4

2.1 Research questions-4

2.2 Participants-4

2.3 Fundamental instrument for research design.-4

2.4 Procedures-5

2.5 Material-5

2.6 Data analysis-6

3.Results and Discussion-8

3.1 Results and discussion of research question 1-8

3.2Results and discussion of research question 2-11

3.2-Results and discussion of research question 3-14

4.Conclusion-17

References-18