著者

西垣 知佳子 リーシュマン サンドラ

出版者

千葉大学

雑誌

千葉大学教育学部研究紀要. II, 人文・社会科学編 (ISSN:13427415)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.48, pp.87-99, 2000-02-29

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The purpose of this study was to examine English composition writing to identify the gap between students' initial writing level and their target level. Data about this gap for a specific group of students, or 'needs analysis', provides teachers with the necessary information to create the appropriate course instruction to meet the needs of the students. 17 students, who took part in this study, were enrolled in English Composition I in the English Department of the Faculty of Education at Chiba University. The target level of this student composition class was to produce essays (write compositions) which meet the expectations of a Western academic writing context. Students' compositions were examined in terms of four categories of writing knowledge: content knowledge, language system knowledge, context knowledge, and writing process knowledge. Reviewing the students' compositions, it was learned that few students had even a rudimentary understanding of the expectations, codes and writing process of Western academic writing. They seemed unfamiliar with basic elements of writing involved in the four categories of writing knowledge. Finally, on the basis of the results obtained, course objectives for this specific group of students were suggested.