scholarly journals The Impact of Gender and Strategic Pre-task Planning Time on EFL Learners’ Oral Performance in Terms of Accuracy

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Shafaei ◽  
Asghar Salimi ◽  
Zahra Talebi
Keyword(s):  
Task Planning ◽  
Oral Performance ◽  
Planning Time ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals The impact of pre-task planning on speaking test performance for English-medium university admission

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 505-526 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan O’Grady
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
English Language ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Task Type ◽  
Task Planning ◽  
Planning Time ◽  
University Admission ◽  
The Impact

This study investigated the impact of different lengths of pre-task planning time on performance in a test of second language speaking ability for university admission. In the study, 47 Turkish-speaking learners of English took a test of English language speaking ability. The participants were divided into two groups according to their language proficiency, which was estimated through a paper-based English placement test. They each completed four monologue tasks: two picture-based narrative tasks and two description tasks. In a balanced design, each test taker was allowed a different length of planning time before responding to each of the four tasks. The four planning conditions were 30 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes, and 10 minutes. Trained raters awarded scores to the test takers using an analytic rating scale and a context-specific, binary-choice rating scale, designed specifically for the study. The results of the rater scores were analysed by using a multifaceted Rasch measurement. The impact of pre-task planning on test scores was found to be influenced by four variables: the rating scale; the task type that test takers completed; the length of planning time provided; and the test takers’ levels of proficiency in the second language. Increases in scores were larger on the picture-based narrative tasks than on the two description tasks. The results also revealed a relationship between proficiency and pre-task planning, whereby statistical significance was only reached for the increases in the scores of the lowest-level test takers. Regarding the amount of planning time, the 5-minute planning condition led to the largest overall increases in scores. The research findings offer contributions to the study of pre-task planning and will be of particular interest to institutions seeking to assess the speaking ability of prospective students in English-medium educational environments.

scholarly journals The Impact of Task Complexity on EFL Learners' Writing Production across Gender

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (5C) ◽  
pp. 1218-1220
Keyword(s):  
Task Complexity ◽  
Task Planning ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Study Task ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Significant Support

Thе currеnt study invеstigatеs thе impact of task complеxity on ЕFL lеarnеrs' writing production across gеndеr. Task complеxity is thе inhеrеnt cognitivе dеmands of thе tasks imposеd on thе lеarnеrs by thе structurе of thе tasks. In this study, task complеxity is invеstigatеd along thе rеsourcе-dispеrsing variablеs of prе-task planning timе, post-task еditing timе and prior knowlеdgе across gеndеr. This study triеs to intеrtwinе thе concеpts of task complеxity and sociolinguistics (i.е. gеndеr diffеrеncеs). This study was aimеd to find out thе еffеct of task complеxity across thе variablе of gеndеr of ЕFL lеarnеrs' writing production which has bееn mеasurеd in tеrms of CAF i.е. complеxity, accuracy and fluеncy. Thеrеforе, thе linguistics propеrtiеs of 160 еssays from ЕFL lеarnеrs (80 malеs & 80 fеmalеs) wеrе analyzеd on thе CAF. Thе participants wеrе sеlеctеd from a homogеnous group of ЕFL lеarnеrs. A wеb-basеd syntactical/lеxical tеxt analysis softwarе was еmployеd to mеasurе thе CAF of thе ЕFL lеarnеrs’ еssays. This can providе usеful information in fiеld of forеign languagе lеarning for languagе plannеrs, curricula dеsignеrs, and tеachеrs. Should this bе donе, it can contributе to improving ЕFL undеrgraduatе studеnts’ ability to a lеvеl of writing compеtеncе that is morе likеly to bе satisfactory. Thе findings of thе study indicatеd statistically significant support for Robinsons’ Hypothеsis. Incrеasing rеsourcе-dispеrsing complеxity by rеmoving planning timе, еditing timе and prior knowlеdgе nеgativеly affеctеd thе CAF of writing of both gеndеrs, malе and fеmalе. In tеrms of gеndеr, fеmalе groups significantly outpеrformеd thеir malе countеrparts in most of thе ovеrall CAF writing scorеs along rеsourcе-dispеrsing of prе-task planning timе, post-task еditing timе and prior knowlеdgе in both low complеxity and high complеxity writing tasks.

The effects of pre-task planning on EFL learners’ oral performance in a 3D multi-user virtual environment

ReCALL ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 232-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian ChengChiang Chen
Keyword(s):  
Language Production ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Task Planning ◽  
World Knowledge ◽  
Oral Performance ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Linguistic Performance ◽  
L2 Learners

AbstractPrior research on pre-task planning examines its effects on the quality of second language (L2) learners’ planned output. Planning mitigates the cognitive overload placed upon L2 learners’ oral performance, thus improving language production. Despite the pedagogical benefits, studies on pre-task planning on L2 learners’ oral output are conducted mostly in a lab or class setting. Whether or not similar effects of pre-task planning can be evidenced in three-dimensional (3D) multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs), such as Second Life (SL), is still less explored. Hence, this study investigates whether pre-task planning could enhance the quality and quantity of English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ task-oriented, voice-based outcomes in SL. Nine EFL learners worldwide participated in this 10-session virtual class. Data were collected through students’ oral presentations in performing real-life simulated tasks related to their home cultures and interests. Yuan and Ellis’s (2003) framework of T-units measures was adopted to analyze their linguistic performance measured by complexity and accuracy. Results indicated that EFL learners showed statistically significant improvement on grammatical complexity on the levels of syntactic complexity and variety (but not on lexical variety) and on linguistic accuracy across all measured levels (error-free clauses/T-units/verb forms). It is suggested that pre-task planning can be seeded in task-based instruction either in a classroom-based or 3D MUVE setting to optimize the quality of learners’ linguistic performance. Tasks that are real-world oriented and targeting learners’ cultural repertoires and world knowledge also positively impact their virtual learning experiences. These significant implications add new research and pedagogical dimensions to the field of computer-assisted language learning.

Pre-task planning and discourse cohesion: Analysis of Chinese EFL learners’ referential use in oral narratives

2019 ◽  
pp. 136216881988389
Author(s):  
Jie Qin ◽  
Yan Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Production Model ◽  
Oral Narratives ◽  
Planning Time ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Referential Use ◽  
Referential Expressions ◽  
Task Conditions ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Selection Of

While the research on pretask planning has concentrated on its effects on learners’ task performance in terms of fluency, accuracy, and complexity, its possible influence on the overall discourse level, such as discourse management and coherence, has been largely ignored. The present study addresses the inadequacy by uncovering the potential effects of pretask planning on Chinese EFL (English as a foreign language) learners’ selection of referential expressions in oral narratives. Fifty-six intermediate-level learners were tasked with retelling the story of Modern Times under one of two conditions, that is, either with 10-minutes strategic planning or without any planning time. An additional 25 native speakers (NSs) also narrated the same story under the same task conditions. Their narratives were audio recorded, transcribed, and coded based on a coding scheme that distinguished the roles of characters, types of reference, and discursive status of reference. A combination of statistical analysis and discourse analysis showed that (1) compared with NSs, the EFL learners were overexplicit in using noun phrases and proper names to refer to singular characters, but not so in joint reference to the major characters; and (2) pretask planning facilitated more target-like selection of referential expressions when major characters were referred to, although it did not bring the learners’ performance up to NS standards. However, the impact of planning time on referential use seemed to be moderated by the role prominence. These findings were explained within the framework of Levelt’s speech production model and Skehan’s Limited Attentional Capacity Hypothesis.

scholarly journals The Impact of Task Planning on Iranian EFL Learners’ Writings

2013 ◽  
Vol 70 ◽  
pp. 719-723
Author(s):  
Hamid Reza Haghverdi ◽  
Hamid Reza Khalaji ◽  
Reza Biria
Keyword(s):  
Task Planning ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
The Impact

PLANNING AND FOCUS ON FORM IN L2 ORAL PERFORMANCE

1999 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 109-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lourdes Ortega
Keyword(s):  
Task Performance ◽  
Strategy Use ◽  
Oral Performance ◽  
Focus On Form ◽  
Planning Time ◽  
Attentional Processes ◽  
Interlanguage Development ◽  
Conscious Attention ◽  
The Impact

Previous research on the impact of pretask planning on interlanguage development (e.g., Crookes, 1989; Ellis, 1987; Foster & Skehan, 1996) has focused solely on the linguistic quality of planned output, leaving the cognitive and attentional processes engaged during planning time unexplored. Drawing on recent research on focus on form (Doughty & Williams, 1998a) and on retrospective methodologies used in strategy use research (e.g., O'Malley & Chamot, 1990), the study reported here investigated whether planning opportunity results in an increased focus on form at the level of strategic attention to form during planning time, as well as at the level of production outcomes during task performance. The results provide support for the claim that planning before doing an L2 task can promote an increased focus on form by providing space for the learner to devote conscious attention during pretask planning to formal and systemic aspects of the language needed to accomplish a particular task.

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