A study on applying the variation theory to Chinese communicative writing

This study attempted to apply the variation theory to teach Chinese communicative writing. The aim of the study was to exhibit the students’ capability of experiencing the phenomena in different ways and so showed qualitative difference in their approach to writing. It was hoped that the result would shed a new light on reducing the problem of students’ writing in monotonous ways and lack of focus in the future. 38 students in a Primary 5 class took part in the study. Three learning tasks were designed and systematically structured to help to facilitate students’ discernment of the critical features of Chinese communicative writing, i.e., the communicative purpose, communicative targets and communicative messages. A comparison between students’ writings before and after the study revealed qualitative difference in their writings. In the post-study writing, students showed clearer purpose of communication. Copyright © 2008 Canadian Center of Science and Education.