Developing Exemplification Competence in College English Writing ——A 4C Model for Teaching Exemplification Writing in College English

Yang Xiaoxiao

Department of Humanity and Law, Fuzhou Technology and Business University

Abstract：

Students frequently struggle to develop effective supporting examples in argumentative writing. Their examples are often general, weakly connected to the main claim, and insufficiently developed. Existing writing instruction tends to emphasize linguistic accuracy and essay organization, while the rhetorical construction of examples receives comparatively limited attention. This paper proposes a 4C Model of Exemplification that conceptualizes effective examples through four dimensions: Compelling, Coherent, Convincing, and Concrete. The model is integrated with the Production-Oriented Approach (POA) and AI-supported blended learning and illustrated through a 45-minute College English writing lesson for second-year law majors at a Chinese university. The lesson combines scaffolded instruction, AI-supported multimodal resources, collaborative learning, and an authentic podcast task. The framework provides explicit guidance for developing examples while integrating rhetorical awareness, language learning, and meaningful communication. The paper discusses the pedagogical value and limitations of the model and proposes directions for future empirical investigation.

Key Words：

Production-Oriented Approach; exemplification writing; Artificial Intelligence; blended learning; college English; writing pedagogy