The Impact of Planning on Accuracy and Complexity in Oral Production of Male and Female English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Learners

Morteza Bagheri, Atefeh Hamrang

Abstract


Over the years, researchers have been trying to help learners to approach a task in an effective way to promote their second language (L2) production and development. Researchers have found that giving planning time to learners can improve their L2 development (Foster & Skehan, 1996, Wendel, 1997). However, a few current findings about task planning are non comprehensive and nonsystematic. To fill this gap, this study examined the effects of both planning conditions and gender on learners’ oral performance in terms of accuracy and complexity among 40 Iranian students at an intermediate level. A total number of 40 participants based on an interview were selected for this study. Based on planning conditions, the participants were assigned to planning and non planning groups. Secondly, they were divided into male and female groups. The findings revealed that 10-minute planning, in comparison with no planning time, improved the accuracy and complexity of participants’ oral performance. Also, results regarding the effects of gender clarified that gender did not have any effect on the participants’ oral performance in terms of accuracy and complexity.


Keywords


Planning, Accuracy, Complexity, Oral production

Full Text:

PDF

References


Birjandi, P., andSeifoori, Z. (2009). The effect of training and task-planning on the complexity of Iranian learners’ oral speech.Applied Linguistics, 2(1), 57-80.

Crookes, G. (1989). Planning and interlanguage variation.Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 11,367-383.

Ellis, R (1987). Interlanguage variability in narrative discourse: Styles shifting in the use of past tense. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 9, 1-20.

Ellis, R. (2003b). Task-based language learning and teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Ellis, R. (2005). ‘Planning and task-based research: theory and research’ in R. Ellis (ed.): planning and task- performance in a second language. John Benjamins.

Ellis, R. (2006). The methodology of task-based teaching.Asian EFL Journal, 8(3), 19-45.

Ellis, R. (2009). The differential effects of three types of task Planning on the fluency, complexity, and accuracy in L2 Oral Production. Applied Linguistics, 30(4), 474–509.

Farahani, A. ,andKhaghaniNejad, A. (2009). The effects of Task- based techniques, gender, and different levels of language proficiency on speaking development. Pazhuhesh-e Zabanha-ye Khareji, 49, 23-41.

Foster, P., and Skehan, P. (1996). The influence of planning and task type on second language performance. Studies in Second Language Acquisition.18, 299-323.

Foster, P., and Skehan, P. (1997). Modifying the task: the effects of surprise, time and planning type on task based foreign language instruction. Thames Valley Working Papers in English language Teaching. Vol. 4.

Foster, P., and Skehan, P. (1999). The influence of source of planning and focus of planning on task-based performance. Language Teaching Research, 3(2,) 15-247.

Gilabert, R. (2005). Task complexity and L2 narrative oral production. Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation Barcelona, The University of Barcelona, Spain.

Ishikawa, T. (2006). The effect of task complexity and language proficiency on task-based language performance. The Journal of Asia Tefl, 3(4), 193-225.

Labov, W. (1970).The study of language in its social context.StudiumGenerale, 23, 30-87.

Levelt, W. (1989).Speaking: From intention to articulation. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press.

Mehrang, F., and Rahimpoor, M. (2010). The impact of task structure and planning conditions on oral performance of EFL learners. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2, 3678-3686.

Menhert, U. (1998). The effects of different lengths of time for planning on second language performance.

Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 20, 83-108.

Mochizuki, N., and Ortega, L. (2008).Balancing communication and grammar in beginning-level foreign language classrooms. Language Teaching Research, 12(1), 11-37.

Mori, J. (2002). Task design, plan, and development of talk-in-interaction.Applied Linguistics23(3), 323-347.

Nunan, D. (1989). Designing tasks for the communicative classroom. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

O'Malley, J. M., and Chamot, A.U. (1990).Learning strategies in second language acquisition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Ortega, L. (1999). Planning and focus on form L2 oral performance. Studies in Second language Acquisition, 21, 109-148.

O’Loughlin, K. (2002). The impact of gender in oral performance.Language Testing, 19(2), 167-190.

O’Sullivan, B. (2000). Exploring gender and oral proficiency interview performance. System, 28, 373-386.

Oxford, R. (2006). Task-based language teaching and learning: an overview. Asian EFL Journal, 8(3), 94-121.

Park, S. (2010). The influence of pretask instructions and pretask planning on focus on form during Korean EFL task-based interaction. Language Teaching Research, 14(1), 9-26.

Prabhu, N. S. (1987). Second language pedagogy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Rahimpoor, M., and Yaghoubi, M. (2008). Examining teacher and student gender influence in task-prompted oral L2 variability. Issues of Applied Linguistics, 16(2), 133-150.

Richards, J.C. & Rodgers, T.S. (1994).Approaches and methods in language teaching: A description and analysis. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Robinson, P. (2001). Task complexity, task difficulty and task production: Exploring interaction in a componential framework. Applied Linguistics, 21, 27-57.

Robinson, P. (2003). A cognitive hypothesis, task design, and adult task-based language learning. Second Language Studies, 21, 45-105.

Sangarun, J. (2001). The effects of pre-task planning on foreign language performance. Doctoral thesis, University of Toronto, Canada.

Shank, R. C., and Cleary, C. (1994).Engines for education. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Skehan, P. (1996). A framework for implementation of task-based instruction.Applied Linguistics, 17, 38-62.

Skehan, P. & Foster, P. (1997). Task type and task processing conditions as influences on foreign language performance. Language Teaching Research 1, 185- 211.

Skehan, P. (1998). Task-based instruction.Annual Review of Applied Linguistics 18, 268-86.

Skehan, p. (2003). Task-based instruction(review article). Language Teaching, 36, 1-14.

Sunderland, J. (2000). Issues of language and gender in second and foreign language education. Language Teaching, 33, 203-223.

Tavakoli, P., and Phoster, P. (2008). Task design and second language performance: the effect of narrative type on learner output. Language Learning 58(2), 439-473.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.7575/aiac.ijalel.v.2n.2p.25

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Bookmark and Share


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

2012-2023 (CC-BY) Australian International Academic Centre PTY.LTD. 

International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature

To make sure that you can receive messages from us, please add the journal emails into your e-mail 'safe list'. If you do not receive e-mail in your 'inbox', check your 'bulk mail' or 'junk mail' folders.