This paper explores the extent to which Chinese rhetorical patterns influence EFL writing, the reasons behind such an influence, and how Chinese EFL learners think about this influence. A multivariate method was used to achieve this purpose： discourse analysis, text-based interviews, a questionnaire, and an analysis of high school textbooks in China. The findings show that only one third of the 26 students who participated the study exhibited ＂circular＂ or ＂indirect＂ characteristics （Kaplan, 1966）, and, more interestingly, these characteristics were not directly influenced by the ＂eight-legged essay＂ pattern （Matalene, 1985） but rather derived from the modern Chinese prose. The learners held that it is beneficial to know English rhetorical structures, but it is also important to preserve Chinese writing conventions.
The effects of a task-based learning （TBL） approach on learner progress in L2 public speaking are investigated through questionnaires, a case study, and student evaluations. The 34 completed questionnaires showed that all of the students made generic preparations for their first individual speech, but relevant and unique improvements for the second one. Speeches given in English by two Chinese undergraduate students in the same Public Speaking course were analyzed in detail to identify phonological improvements in accuracy and fluenc~ The paper concludes that task-based instruction supports learner-initiated learning opportunities outside the classroom, thus encouraging greater learner improvements.
