The challenge of academic writing for Chinese students within ...

confidence gradually increased with the increasing familiarity of the new dialect and learning
environment. He remarked that he expected and prepared for the language difficulties he
would face initially in the UK since he had experienced learning in a different language
environment before.
Some participants had experiences of learning different languages. For instance, one
participant was taking Japanese courses outside of school as her third language. Her study in
Japan had enabled her to speak and write Japanese confidently. Some participants have been
studying French as their third language. Not only has this helped make them aware of
language learning difficulties, the experience of learning different language has also helped
increase their ability to learn. Some participants realized that the best way to master a new
language was to have constant contact daily with the language, in another words, to use the
language on a regular basis. In addition, one participant stated that language learning was also
culture learning. That was why she had chosen to study culture-related courses alongside the
language-learning course. The understanding of the culture would facilitate the acquisition of
a new language.
English language education
As has been discussed in Chapter 1 – the Contexts of Origin--China has a long history of
contact with the English language and great emphasis has been placed on English language
learning in schools across China, especially since the introduction of the Open Door Policy
and launch of China‘s modernization in 1978. The participants in this research have had
contact with English from a very early stage of their life. They started learning English in
primary schools, and continued during secondary schooling. They have been inculcated with
the importance of mastering English language because of the career prospects it opens up. As
some participants recalled:
Deep in my mind when I was a little boy, I understood English is very important
for my future. Such concept just went into my mind unconsciously in respond to
the rapidly change in environment. (Vincent, autobiographical account)
In my school years, Miss Xu made me realize that English is not simply a skill but
a very useful one. It is a key to the door of the outside world… (Rita,
autobiographical account)
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