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Investigation of English Writing Difficulties Among Undergraduate English-Majors in Universities in China

Received: 21 June 2022     Accepted: 19 July 2022     Published: 28 July 2022
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Abstract

English writing proficiency is an important skill for undergraduate students in universities in China. A great deal of researches have been devoted to study the current English writing practices in universities in China. Chinese undergraduate students are reported to have certain difficulties and challenges in writing in English, such as incoherence in English writing, improper use of learned vocabulary, and lack of logical connections and conjunctions among sentences. Most of the studies focus on non-English-majors, but studies on English-majors are quite limited. This study investigates English writing difficulties among undergraduate English-majors in China by employing a literature review of recent related publications. We also invited 30 professional English writing teachers in universities in China to take interviews to explore the difficulties in English writing among undergraduate English-majors. The results show that great difficulties lie in limited choice of vocabulary and sentence types, and incoherent and incohesive structure organization. The findings of this study will help teachers to better understand current English writing practices of undergraduate English-majors in universities in China. Based on the findings of this study, suggestions for teaching strategies are also provided to improve English writing for undergraduate English-majors in China.

Published in Higher Education Research (Volume 7, Issue 4)
DOI 10.11648/j.her.20220704.16
Page(s) 133-136
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Chinese Undergraduate English-Majors, English Writing Difficulties, Suggestions

References
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[2] Sun, X. H. (2014). Ungrammatical patterns in Chinese EFL learners’ free writing. English Language Teaching, 7 (3), 176-183.
[3] He, X. J., & Niao, L. N. (2015). A probe into the negative writing transfer of Chinese college students. English Language Teaching, 8 (10), 21-29.
[4] Liu, M. H., & Ni, H. L. Q. (2015). Chinese university EFL learners’ foreign language writing anxiety: Pattern, effect, and causes. English Language Teaching, 8 (3), 46-58.
[5] Zhan, H. F. (2015). Frequent errors in Chinese EFL learners’ topic-based writings. English Language Teaching, 8 (5), 72-81.
[6] Bai, L. R. (2017). Constructing a survey scale of the inducing factors for classroom English writing anxiety. Foreign Language World, (5), 74-82.
[7] Bai, L. R. (2019). On the potential relationship between the logical coherence in English sentences and the English writing profciency. Foreign Language Research, (1), 52-57.
[8] Yang, Y., & Feng, Z. W. (2022). the effects of a SPOC-based blended writing course on college students’ English writing development. Foreign Language Education, 43 (2), 67-73.
[9] Wei, X. Q. (2010). Weblog in teaching college English writing. Journal of Xinjiang Normal University, 31 (2), 125-132.
[10] Lyu, B. P. (2013). A research report on undergraduate English writing education for non English-majors. Heilongjiang Social Sciences, 138 (3), 156-158.
[11] Ma, W. Y. (2004). A corpus-based study about transfer of Chinese thinking patterns on English writing. Journal of Beijing Institute of Technology, 6 (s1), 74-77.
[12] Zhang, Q. Y. (2005). Common grammatical mistakes in undergraduate English writing and the implication to teaching and learning English vocabulary. Journal of Guangdong Medical College, 23 (1), 109-110.
[13] Wang, Z. (1997). An analysis of differences between Chinese and English and its influence on translation and writing for Chinese students. Journal of Chinese Translator, 3: 22-25.
[14] Chang, X. L. (2018). A review of research on writer identity construction in English writing: concepts, theories and methods. Foreign Language and Literature, 34 (2), 138-144.
[15] Yu, X., & Cao, H. X. (2022). A study on the construction of university English users’ authorial identity in the Chinese context. Foreign Language Studies, 113-127.
[16] Wang, S. W. (2009a). The incoherence in undergraduate English writing and its implication to English writing education: A research based on the writing test in CET-4]. Master, 139-140.
[17] Zheng, C., & Chang, C. E. (2014). Communication or show-off: A study of the confusion in meaning-structure relationship in undergraduate English writing]. Modern Foreign Languages, 37 (4), 513-524.
[18] Liu, J. L., & Guo, P. J. (2013). An analysis of the incoherence and incohesion in Undergraduate English writing. Journal of Shaanxi Normal University, 40, 153-156.
[19] Xiao, L. M. (2001). English-Chinese Comparative Studies and Translation. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 111.
[20] Zhang, A, Q. (1998). An Inquiry to English Writing. Foreign Language and Foreign Language Teaching, 12, 13-15.
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Haiting Zhu. (2022). Investigation of English Writing Difficulties Among Undergraduate English-Majors in Universities in China. Higher Education Research, 7(4), 133-136. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.her.20220704.16

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    ACS Style

    Haiting Zhu. Investigation of English Writing Difficulties Among Undergraduate English-Majors in Universities in China. High. Educ. Res. 2022, 7(4), 133-136. doi: 10.11648/j.her.20220704.16

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    AMA Style

    Haiting Zhu. Investigation of English Writing Difficulties Among Undergraduate English-Majors in Universities in China. High Educ Res. 2022;7(4):133-136. doi: 10.11648/j.her.20220704.16

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  • @article{10.11648/j.her.20220704.16,
      author = {Haiting Zhu},
      title = {Investigation of English Writing Difficulties Among Undergraduate English-Majors in Universities in China},
      journal = {Higher Education Research},
      volume = {7},
      number = {4},
      pages = {133-136},
      doi = {10.11648/j.her.20220704.16},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.her.20220704.16},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.her.20220704.16},
      abstract = {English writing proficiency is an important skill for undergraduate students in universities in China. A great deal of researches have been devoted to study the current English writing practices in universities in China. Chinese undergraduate students are reported to have certain difficulties and challenges in writing in English, such as incoherence in English writing, improper use of learned vocabulary, and lack of logical connections and conjunctions among sentences. Most of the studies focus on non-English-majors, but studies on English-majors are quite limited. This study investigates English writing difficulties among undergraduate English-majors in China by employing a literature review of recent related publications. We also invited 30 professional English writing teachers in universities in China to take interviews to explore the difficulties in English writing among undergraduate English-majors. The results show that great difficulties lie in limited choice of vocabulary and sentence types, and incoherent and incohesive structure organization. The findings of this study will help teachers to better understand current English writing practices of undergraduate English-majors in universities in China. Based on the findings of this study, suggestions for teaching strategies are also provided to improve English writing for undergraduate English-majors in China.},
     year = {2022}
    }
    

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    T1  - Investigation of English Writing Difficulties Among Undergraduate English-Majors in Universities in China
    AU  - Haiting Zhu
    Y1  - 2022/07/28
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    T2  - Higher Education Research
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    AB  - English writing proficiency is an important skill for undergraduate students in universities in China. A great deal of researches have been devoted to study the current English writing practices in universities in China. Chinese undergraduate students are reported to have certain difficulties and challenges in writing in English, such as incoherence in English writing, improper use of learned vocabulary, and lack of logical connections and conjunctions among sentences. Most of the studies focus on non-English-majors, but studies on English-majors are quite limited. This study investigates English writing difficulties among undergraduate English-majors in China by employing a literature review of recent related publications. We also invited 30 professional English writing teachers in universities in China to take interviews to explore the difficulties in English writing among undergraduate English-majors. The results show that great difficulties lie in limited choice of vocabulary and sentence types, and incoherent and incohesive structure organization. The findings of this study will help teachers to better understand current English writing practices of undergraduate English-majors in universities in China. Based on the findings of this study, suggestions for teaching strategies are also provided to improve English writing for undergraduate English-majors in China.
    VL  - 7
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Author Information
  • School of Foreign Studies, Minzu University of China, Beijing, China

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