The effect of structured versus unstructured collaborative pre-writing task on writing skills of the Iranian EFL students

Abstract

Writing is considered a very complicated task for many EFL students and Iranian EFL learners have many problems in this regard. Present study through a mixed method design, attempted to investigate the effect of Structured Collaborative (SC) pre-writing task versus Unstructured Collaborative (USC) pre-writing task on the writing ability of Iranian EFL students. Among a population of 300 freshmen learners of English language translation of Islamic Azad University, 169 students were selected based on criterion sampling. The criteria for selecting the sample were English language proficiency of the learners, age of the participants and major of their study. On the other hand, 30 teachers were selected based on convenience sampling for the interview part of the study. Then the students were assigned to Unstructured Collaborative (USC), and Structured Collaborative (SC) pre-writing groups. These two clusters were considered as experimental group and as control group. The study was implemented over a period of 16 weeks and involved pre and post-tests. Results of the quantitative data analysis shows that students’ writing proficiency in both groups were improved. However, the outcomes of the study reveals that the (USC) group outperformed the (SC) group. The qualitative data analysis through classroom observation and teachers interview reveals that teachers of (IAU) practiced the collaborative tasks at the three stages of writing in their classes and they also favored and applied the five components of Cooperative Learning (CL). In this study, the researchers took the initiative to make a distinction between structured and unstructured collaborative pre-writing tasks. Consequently, the results of the current study are of benefit for several groups of people, namely language practitioners, university students and educational administrators.

The Impact of Back-translation Instruction with Collaborative Activities on Iranian English Students’ Translation Achievement

“…Besides, the outcomes are in line with some studies (e.g., Beiki et al, 2020b;Huss, 2018;Shirazifard et al, 2021), which have highlighted the efficacy of collaborative task implementation as a crucial factor in classes. The study results align with some scholars' viewpoints (Beiki et al, 2020a;Neather, 2019;Rashtchi & Beiki, 2015;Fernandez Dobao, 2012), who highlighted the dominant role of group tasks implementation and students' interaction in the learning process.…”

“…Concerning translation tasks, back-translation attains a superior quality guarantee, and it assist learners to evaluate the appropriateness of equivalence between source and target manuscripts (McGowan, 2014). Because most EFL students have inadequate vocabulary knowledge and have struggled to state their thoughts, they can be provided with the opportunity to pool and discuss views jointly for task implementation (Beiki et al, 2020a;Rashtchi & Beiki,2015). Educationally, little attention is given to the back-translation as well as collaborative back-translation.…”

Online Small Groups Talk in English Collaborative Prewriting Phase Viewed from Social Presence Frame

“…In the prewriting phase, collaborative tasks through learning together is a proper choice for EFL learners and highlight dynamic discussion between learners with diverse capabilities and background knowledge [23]. Discussion creates a social environment where students can practice critical thinking; the more practice they receive, the higher their performance.…”

Incubation Learning Model to Improve Procedure Text Writing Ability

“…Especially after the communicative writing movement found its proper position in language teaching (Rashtchi & Keyvanfar, 2010), writing is a difficult skill requiring students to use related skills and sub-skills. To write an English essay, students need knowledge of grammar and terminology on related themes (Beiki, Gharagozloo, & Raissi, 2020;Fitz & Glasgow, 2009). The ability to write efficiently is essential in several academic environments.…”