Part One Background 1
Chapter One Introduction 4
1．Need for the study 6
Resolving some of the problems and inconsistent findings in L2 writing research 7
Verifying some of the hypotheses related to L2 writing 10
Improving the efficiency of the teaching and learning of L2 writing in China 11
Summary 12
2．Outline of the book 13
Chapter Two An overview：L1 writing ability,L2 proficiency and L2 writing ability——a trilateral relationship 14
1．Introduction 14
2．The relationship between L1 writing ability and L2 writing ability 14
Assumptions,findings,hypotheses and studies 14
Problems,causes and solutions 18
3．L1 writing ability and L2 proficiency 19
4．The relationship between L2 proficiency and L2 writing ability 22
Research findings and some related studies 22
"L2 proficiency"and L2 writing ability 22
Reading-writing relationship 28
Problems and their causes 31
Solutions 32
5．Methodologies in L2 writing research——quantitative vs.qualitative 33
6．Summary 35
Part Two Theoretical Framework and Research Design 37
Chapter Three The Conceptual Framework for the Study 40
1．Introduction 40
2．A general description of Grabe and Kaplan's(1996)model 41
3．The focus of the study 45
Introduction 45
Competence and performance 46
Comprehension and production 49
Defining L2 proficiency 50
Summary 50
4．Systematic effects of L2 learners'linguistic variables on L2 writing 51
The specific conceptual model to be tested in this study 51
The effects of L1 writing ability on L2 writing ability 52
Measures of writing ability——quality,fluency,and superstructure 53
Comprehension and production 55
5．Summary 58
Chapter Four Research Design for the Quantitative Part of the Study 59
1．Introduction 59
2．Hypotheses 59
3．Subjects 60
4．Instruments 62
Questionnaire 63
Tests of L2 comprehension competencies(Appendix 2) 63
Tests of L2 comprehension skills(Appendix 3) 66
Tests of L2 production competencies(Appendix 4) 66
Oral test of English speaking ability 67
English writing task 68
Chinese writing task 68
5．Data collection 69
6．Treatment of the data 70
Scoring of the test papers 70
Oral score 70
Total score of all the subtests of L2 proficiency 71
Typing all the compositions 71
Composition rating procedure 71
Word counting 72
Scoring of superstructure 72
7．Procedures for data analyses 73
Introduction 73
Statistical analyses with SPSS 74
Reliabilities of the tests 75
Structural equation modeling with STREAMS and LISREL 75
Procedures for model building 79
8．Summary 81
Chapter Five Design for the Qualitative Part of the Study 82
1．Introduction 82
2．Research questions 82
3．Definition of"skilled"and"unskilled"L2 student writers 83
4．Subjects 83
5．Procedures：data collection and analyses 85
6．Summary 88
Part Three Results and Analysis 89
Chapter Six Results of Quantitative Part of the Study 92
1．Introduction 92
2．A general description of the causal model 93
3．The effects of L1 writing ability on L2 writing ability 96
The direct effect of L1 writing ability on L2 writing ability 96
The indirect effects of L1 writing ability on L2 writing ability 99
Different models of the relationships of L1 writing ability and L2 proficiency to L2 writing ability 102
4．L2 production vocabulary 106
5．L2 speaking ability 108
6．The indirect effects of L2 comprehension variables on L2 writing ability 110
L2 reading ability 110
L2 listening ability 114
L2 comprehension vocabulary 115
L2 comprehension discourse competence 118
7．L2 variables out of the model 118
8．Summary 120
Chapter Seven Qualitative Differences Between Skilled and Unskilled L2 Student Writers 122
1．Introduction 122
2．L1 writing ability 122
Differences in L1 writing ability 122
Transfer of writing ability from L1 to L2 133
3．L2 production vocabulary competence 140
Differences between the skilled and unskilled L2 student writers 140
A tentative explanation for the differences in L2 vocabulary 150
4．L2 speaking ability 153
5．Qualitative differences in process 155
6．Summary 159
Part Four Conclusion 161
Chapter Eight Findings,Implications,Suggestions and Conclusion 164
1．Findings of the study 164
2．Theoretical significance of the findings 166
The use of a multi-dimensional model of L2 writing 166
The need for reexamining existing theories of L2 writing 168
3．Practical significance of the findings 169
4．Strengths,weaknesses,and limitations of the study 170
5．Suggestions for future research 172
6．Conclusion 173
References 175
Appendices 182
Appendix 1 Questionnaire for Personal Information 182
Appendix 2 Tests of EFL Comprehension Competencies 183
（1）EFL Recognition Vocabulary Test 183
（2）EFL Recognition Grammar Test 184
（3）EFL Recognition Discourse Test 185
Appendix 3 Tests of EFL Comprehension Skills 187
（1）Listening Comprehension Test(20 minutes)(Sample) 187
（2）Reading Comprehension Test(35 minutes)(Sample) 188
Appendix 4 Tests of EFL Production Competencies 191
（1）EFL Production Vocabulary Test 191
（2）EFL Production Grammar Test 192
（3）EFL Production Discourse Test 193
Appendix 5 The Reading-aloud Passage(From Heaton 1975；p.85) 194
Appendix 6 Questions for EFL Oral Test 195
Appendix 7 Heaton's(1975)Scheme of Measuring the Ability to Communicate Orally(p.95) 196
Appendix 8 Test of Written English(TWE)Scoring Guidelines(In Chai et al．1991) 197
Appendix 9 Correlation Matrix 199
Appendix 10 Chinese Compositions of Subjects 1,2,3,and 4 200
Appendix 11 EFL Compositions of Subjects 1,2,3,and 4 202