Abstract
ABSTRACT The use of model essays has been a fairly common yet controversial technique in the teaching of EFL/ESL writing. Both product-oriented and process-oriented researchers hold different views on their uses in the teaching of organizational aspects. However, few research studies have investigated their effects in writing classes. The purpose of this study was thus to ascertain the effect of rhetorical modeling on university freshmen’s writing of English expository essays and learning attitude as compared to a more expressive writing method without the use of model essays. Nine foreign language majors in the rhetorical analysis group received explicit instruction on organization in 12 expository model essays in the six-week classes, whereas eight in the expressive writing group emphasized the development of creativity, writing fluency, and idea generation via the freewriting techniques. All of the students were asked to write an expository essay at the beginning and at the end of the study. The data analyzed in this study consisted of the participants’ sample essays in the pretest and posttest, three in-depth interviews, and two written survey questionnaires within and at the end of the instructional period. The results of the sample essays showed that both the rhetorical modeling and the expressive method had significantly positive effects on the quality of expository writing. The interview and questionnaire data also indicated that both writing methods might complement each other, since they can facilitate the learning of different aspects in different stages of writing processes. The explicit teaching of expository organization via model essays could actively foster the development of rhetorical awareness and rhetorical schemata in revision, whereas the expressive writing method was more helpful in the development of writing fluency, creativity, and idea generation in the prewriting stage. Also, the expressive writing method was more interesting than rhetorical modeling, mainly due to the essence of the technique of freewritings and interesting activities. A more balanced combination of the two was thus presented in a sample syllabus for students to learn English writing in various aspects and to keep them interested in learning English writing.