The major concern of the Field Study is the teaching
of composition, with particular reference to Chinese foreign language institutes.
Robert B. Kaplan (1966), having analyzed the rhetorical
behaviours of several linguistic groups, claims that different
cultures develop different rhetorical conventions, which
influence the non-English native speaker's way of writing in
English. Recent years have witnessed many developments in
language teaching as a result of research done in sociolinguistics,
yet the implication of Kaplan's finding for EFL
teaching is still unexplored. This paper thus intends to
examine this issue of "cultural differences in the nature of
rhetoric" by comparing the Chinese linguistic system with the
English linguistic system in terms of rhetorical organization
in exposition. The following aspects are to be discussed.
In the first place, an introduction delineates the need
for this Study, its aims, scope and sources of data.
After the Introduction, there is a brief review of the
EFL composition teaching in China and the influence of overseas
composition teaching in foreign language institutes in China
today.
An attempt is then made to study Kaplan's theory by
exploring both Chinese and English rhetorical patterns; and
devices. The emphasis of this chapter is on a comparison and
contrast of expository modes and strategies in the two
rhetorics.
Having studied rhetorical principles in a broad
sense, the report narrows its focus to the differences in
their use of English rhetorical devices between Australian
English native speakers and foreign language learners from
China; the material studied is a selection of compositions
produced by Chinese students and rewritten by Australian
students.
The final section contributes practical suggestions
for EFL composition teaching in foreign language institutes
in China.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/219126 |
| Date | January 1984 |
| Creators | Li, Zhang, n/a |
| Publisher | University of Canberra. Liberal Studies |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | ), Copyright Zhang Li |
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