Research on the Mediating Effect of IELTS Academic Writing Task 2 among Chinese EFL Learners
- 1 School of International Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
Abstract
This study, based on mediation theory of Socio-cultural theory (SCT), carries out a research on IELTS academic writing Task 2 teaching among undergraduate students in the International Cooperation Program of Birmingham University, and compares the teaching effect between experimental group and control group. The 14-week intensive writing course is comprised of seven modules, each with a duration of 2 weeks (twelve periods). The control group continues with traditional instruction while a new teaching model, under the mediation effect of rules, intermediary tools and community, is implemented in experimental group who is required to embark on specific topics in depth, from off-class preparation concerning topic-related sources to in-class presentation, group discussion, peer evaluation and in-class writing (via paragraph continuation, essay continuation, etc.). When the course ends, all subjects are required to take part in the final immediately and the IELTS exam within three months. Data analyses show a significant difference in the final writing scores and IELTS writing scores between the two groups. Data also exhibits the significant positive correlation between students’ in-class writing scores and final-exam scores, as well as the IELTS writing scores in experimental group. This study provides practical feasibility and basis for promoting mediation in teaching English writing.
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