A Feasibility Study of Task-based Teaching of College English Writing in Chinese EFL Context

Abstract

In this study the author draws on Jane Willis’ TBL framework and examines its effects on the improvement of EFL learners’ writing competence when such a framework is applied to college writing classrooms in Chinese EFL settings, and thus tentatively explores the feasibility of the task-based approach to the teaching of EFL writing. Results of this study are derived from discussion concerned with qualitative data and quantitative data yielded from a quasi-experiment designed for this research, and reveal that the application of Willis’ framework for TBL to Chinese writing classrooms will have some positive influences upon college EFL learners’ understanding of a good piece of English writing, greatly help them to solve some problems related to composing, and thereby significantly improve their writing competence. This study attempts to provide the teaching of EFL writing or even the discipline of teaching writing a feasible and effective approach.