Collaborative vs. Individual Task Planning and Iranian Advanced EFL Learners’ Argumentative Writing Performance

Collaborative vs. Individual Task Planning and Iranian Advanced EFL Learners’ Argumentative Writing Performance

Writing is one of the most complicated skills in L2 learning setting and requires appropriate use of techniques in developing EFL learners written performance. Though it’s been a big problem for many second language learners to overcome these potential hindrances in the process of writing, scholars and writing teachers have proposed a plenty of ways in order to solve these drawbacks in relation to writing specifically in more detailed moods of writing. The current study is an attempt to compare collaborative and individual task planning effects on Iranian EFL learners’ Argumentative writing performance. To this end, 60 Advanced EFL learners were placed in three groups of Collaboration Task planning, Individual Task planning, and control. Participants in experimental groups were required to do task planning collaboratively and individually. After making sure about the inter-rater consistency, data were analyzed using one-way ANOVAs to examine the effects of task planning on EFL learners Argumentative writing performance. Results showed that task planning produced better writing performance in Organization and Style. Also, it had no significant effects on Content, Grammar, and Mechanics. This study has practical implications for classroom practices and language teachers, and theoretical implications for a better understanding of sociocultural theories of second language learning.

Writing is one of the most complicated skills in L2 learning setting and requires appropriate use of techniques in developing EFL learners written performance. Though it’s been a big problem for many second language learners to overcome these potential hindrances in the process of writing, scholars and writing teachers have proposed a plenty of ways in order to solve these drawbacks in relation to writing specifically in more detailed moods of writing. The current study is an attempt to compare collaborative and individual task planning effects on Iranian EFL learners’ Argumentative writing performance. To this end, 60 Advanced EFL learners were placed in three groups of Collaboration Task planning, Individual Task planning, and control. Participants in experimental groups were required to do task planning collaboratively and individually. After making sure about the inter-rater consistency, data were analyzed using one-way ANOVAs to examine the effects of task planning on EFL learners Argumentative writing performance. Results showed that task planning produced better writing performance in Organization and Style. Also, it had no significant effects on Content, Grammar, and Mechanics. This study has practical implications for classroom practices and language teachers, and theoretical implications for a better understanding of sociocultural theories of second language learning.