Intertextuality in Chinese High School Students' Essay Writing

This paper investigates the intertextual practices developed for writing in Chinese of high school students in Taiwan. On the basis of texts written by Chinese high school students, we investigate these practices within their own cultural context to develop an understanding of intertextual practices into which Chinese learners are socialised. We examine the intertextual features of texts, the evaluations made by teachers of these practices and the teaching approaches adopted by teachers to teach them. It is argued that Chinese practices of intertextuality should not be considered as deviant but rather understood in their own cultural context as valued practices, which constitute and are perceived as aspects of good writing.