1.2 Significance of the study

Given the present study investigates，both qualitatively and quantitatively，the nature of subjects’strategy use and their performance on an integrated reading-to-write task，it has theoretical，pedagogical and methodological implications.

First，by examining the nature of strategy use and integrated writing test performance through quantitative and qualitative lenses，the study proposes a model that reveals subjects’interactive deployment of strategies in their task fulfillment，which may definitely expand our understanding of how they approach integrated writing tasks.A body of studies in the field of integrated language test tasks have delved into either subjects’written products（e.g.，Gebril&Plakans 2013；Watanabe 2001；Cumming et al.2005）or their performing processes（e.g.，Plakans 2007，2008，2009；Plakans&Gebril 2012；McCulloch 2013）.Still other studies sought to justify the validation of this task type（Asención 2004；Delaney 2008；Kim 2008；Jiang 2010）.Little research，however，has unearthed the generic components of subjects’strategy use in their completion of an EFL integrated reading-to-write task，in particular，meaning-constructing strategies，cognitive strategies，and metacognitive strategies.

Second，since this study investigates to what extent the strategy use that subjects report may influence their performance on reading-to-write tasks，it could have pedagogical implications on EFL writing.In other words，if it is found that the specific strategy use，i.e.，meaning-constructing，cognitive and metacognitive strategies，have differential effects on subjects’performance，this might shed light on how EFL learners should be taught in integrated writing particularly in academic contexts.As Keck（2006）suggested，writing instructors present learners with examples of both good and poor writing strategy use in order to help them differentiate between acceptable and unacceptable writing practices.Furthermore，integration of multiple skills makes this task type a different assessment of writing which requires subjects to count on a wide repertoire of strategies and to make challenging decisions.Therefore，writing classes should prioritize these strategies in instruction and practice.

In addition，as this study involves the construction and validation of strategy use assessing instruments with regard to reading-to-write tasks primarily on the basis of previous research（Yang 2009；Tsai 2004；Purpura 1997；Plakans 2009），EFL teachers could be provided with a taxonomy of strategy use for academic writing because these instruments could offer useful diagnostic information about learners’reading-to-write performance and their strategy use so that teachers could train their learners to utilize in an attempt to improve their academic writing abilities.