A Case Study of Classic Prose as a Psychological Tool in Reflection Writing

This paper presents a case study of second language(L2) writing from a sociocultural perspective and highlights the mediational role of a piece of classic prose, "Youth," as a psychological tool in the reflection writing process. Sixty English majors from a Chinese university participated in the study. Data were collected through reflection writing and interviews and were treated with the grounded theory method. The findings showed that in the appropriation of the classic prose, students not only improved their language skills but also deepened their understanding of the theme, which contributed to the buildup of their philosophy of life in a meaningful way.