Overview

That many overseas university students whose first language is not English lack adequate proficiency in formal academic English has become an issue of growing concern. This timely study examines the writing strategies used by three Chinese post-graduate students while writing academic papers in English. Similarities and differences between the L2 and L1 writing processes are explored and a major hindrance to acculturating into the target academic discourse community is found to be a background of reader-responsibility which is regarded as a crucial feature in Eastern rhetoric and is distinguished from writer-responsibility in English rhetoric.

Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION
   Statement of the Problem — Possible Reasons for the Problem — Focus of the Study — Framework of the Conceptualisation — Definition of Terms — Significance of the Study — Structure of the Thesis
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
   Theories Associated with L2 Writing Strategies — Research into L2 Writing Strategies — Chinese Writing Strategies and English Writing Strategies — Studies on L2 Writing Strategies of Chinese Students
3. METHODOLOGY
   Conceptual Framework — Justification for Qualitative Hermeneutic Multi-case Study — Data Collection Techniques — Small-scale Pilot Study — Main Study — Some Other Considerations
4. THE CASE OF ALLY
   Rhetorical Strategies — Metacognitive Strategies — Cognitive Strategies — Communicative Strategies — Social/affective Strategies
5. THE CASE OF SUSAN
   Rhetorical strategies — Metacognitive Strategies — Cognitive Strategies — Communicative Strategies — Social/affective Strategies
6. THE CASE OF ROGER
   Rhetorical Strategies — Metacognitive Strategies — Cognitive Strategies — Communicative Strategies — Social/affective Strategies
7. DISCUSSION
   Writing Strategies — Similar Process or Different Process — Positive Transfer or Negative Transfer — Reader-responsibility or Writer-responsibility
8. CONCLUSION
   Brief Summary of Findings — Implications for L2 Writing Theory — Implications for Further Research — Implications for the Teaching of L2 Writing
9. APPENDICES
   Information Sheet — Consent Form — Preliminary Questionnaire — Semi-structured Interview Schedule — Post-writing Discussion Questions — List of L2 Writing Studies — Sample of Categorisation — Responses to the Questionnaire Made by the Three Participants