Bridging Input and Output: A Comparative Study of Free Voluntary Reading and the Production-Oriented Approach in Chinese EFL Writing Instruction

Abstract

This study compares the efficacy of Free Voluntary Reading (FVR) and the Production-Oriented Approach (POA) in bridging input and output for Chinese EFL writing instruction. Through a mixed-methods empirical study involving 57 third-year English majors, the research first implemented FVR, revealing significant theoretical acceptance but poor practical engagement due to time constraints, material irrelevance, and insufficient self-regulation. Subsequent adoption of POA incorporated output-driven tasks to motivate input consumption and scaffold prewriting processes. Results demonstrated POA’s superiority in enhancing engagement, topic relevance, and linguistic transfer. However, challenges persisted in strategy internalization and procrastination. The findings highlight POA’s structured accountability and learner-centered design as effective countermeasures to FVR’s limitations, though explicit language scaffolding and technological integration are recommended to address residual gaps.