Process Genre Approach in SPOC Blended Learning Environment to Improve Chinese EFL Learners’ Generic Writing Competence

Research has indicated that Chinese EFL learners demonstrated challenges in generic competence related to writing. The process-genre approach has been found to contribute positively to improving this competence, according to several studies. However, most of the relevant research and teaching practice were in traditional classroom setting, which can no longer conform to the characteristics of the digital era and China’s national educational policy. The current study attempts to integrate process genre approach into a SPOC based blended learning environment at a university in China and investigate its impacts on Chinese EFL learners’ generic competence in writing. A qualitative research method was employed in this study and the qualitative research instruments of semi-structured interviews and e-portfolios were adopted in the investigation. The findings revealed that participants perceived that they had improved their generic writing competence. They not only had a better understanding of the communicative purposes and main features of different genres, but also cultivated a strong sense of genre before writing essays. In addition, they were able to incorporate their awareness of organization, content, and language features in their processes of writing. Therefore, the combination of process genre approach and SPOC blended learning is highly recommended to EFL writing instructors.