The effect of pre-task and online planning conditions on complexity, accuracy and fluency on EFL learners written production

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate how pre-task and online planning could have impact on the three dimensions of language production. Language performance and proficiency are believed to be multi-dimensional in nature, and that their principal dimensions can be examined through the notions of complexity, accuracy and fluency (Skehan, 1998; Ellis, 2008; Ellis &Barkhuizen, 2005). To conduct the study, forty intermediate EFL learners from a language center in Iran were selected to participate in this study. They were homogenized in terms of gender, age, nationality, L1, and English proficiency. They were randomly assigned to either the pre-planning or the online planning conditions and were required to complete a written narrative based on a series of pictures. Ten of the participants in the pre-task planning condition were randomly selected to participate in a retrospective interview following the task to see what they did during the 10 minute planning time. Independent samples t-tests were run in order to see if any significant difference existed in the writing performance of the participants under the two planning conditions in relation to complexity, accuracy, and fluency. The findings of this study showed that the pre-task planning group produced more complex and fluent writings, whereas the online planning group produced more error free clauses indicating a more accurate writing performance.