The Effect of Using Email on Enhancing Iranian Intermediate EFL Learners Writing Proficiency

ABSTRACT: Iran is a progressing and developing country and the need for the help of technology in language learning and teaching programs is very essential. The present study was set out to investigate the effects of E-mail on improving EFL learnersʹ writing skill and to show the benefits of using one of the new learning opportunities of the age, ( e-mail) electronic mail, in an EFL writing class for both students and teachers.The differential effects of the two types of treatment (i.e., traditional and the use of emailing) on the learning of writing skill was investigated.The participants of the study were 40 female students, by the age of 15-17 who were randomly assigned to the two groups of experimental and control. Each group consisted of 20 participants. The course lasted for about 3 weeks, and was held in one of the institutes in Gonbad, Iran. The first group (experimental group) sent their assignments through emails in addition to the traditional class activities but the second group (control group) had the traditional class and assignments were handed in hard copies.For measuring the writing skill, a pre-test and post-test was administered to both groups. The pre- and post-tests were tests based on the materials covered in the class. The pre- and post-tests were parallel recognition tests and productive writing tasks. The results of the two posttests show improvement of the experimental group.