The effects of planning time on complexity, accuracy, fluency, and lexical variety in L2 descriptive writing

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of pre-task planning and online planning on L2 writing production (complexity, accuracy, fluency, and lexical variety). Seventy-eight intermediate EFL learners were randomly divided into three groups (n 1 / 3 26): pre-task planning, online planning, and no planning. Participants were required to write a description elicited through a pictorial task. Analysis of the descriptions and the results of a series of one-way ANOVA showed that the participants who completed the task under the pre-task planning condition composed more fluent texts. However, those who conducted the task under the no planning condition wrote more lexically varied texts. In addition, the participants who completed the task under the online planning condition outperformed those who worked with the task under the pre-task planning condition in the case of lexical variety. This study proposes the trade-off effect between fluency and lexical variety. The findings also reveal that choosing suitable task-based implementational conditions can help L2 writers improve the complexity, accuracy, fluency, and lexical variety of their textual products. Finally, the implementational conditions for pre-task and online planning should be equally available for L2 writers if they want to present their actual output.

Enhancing Saudi EFL Learners’ CAF in Narrative Writing Through Native Speaker Kids’ Reading Website

“…While Abdi Tabari's (2018) study resulted in the production of error-free clauses per sentence, the current study found no significance between the native speakers reading website and (EFC/S). To sum up, the results of the current study is consistent with (Farahani and Meraji 2011, Ghavamnia et al, 2013, Abdi-Tabari, 2016,Nosratinia and Razavi, 2016 in enhancing accuracy while writing. Comparing among the ratios of accuracy measure, it was noted that (EFT/T) was the highest ratio in improving narrative writing where it reached 2.93 while (EFC/C) was the lowest decrease in narrative writing accuracy measure where it reached 1.16.…”

Exploring the effects of pre-task planning time on EFL learners’ narrative writing

“…Planning time has been considered as a processing condition whose role, especially in terms of language fluency and complexity in language production, cannot be ignored. By providing planning time in performing different task types, favorable results have been gained so far (Abdi Tabari, 2016;Amadian, 2012;Ellis & Yuan, 2004;Li, Chen, & Sun, 2014;Sangarun, 2005;Tavakoli & Skehan, 2005;Wang, 2008;Yuan & Ellis, 2003). Studies with different lengths of planning time have also been conducted, such as 15 minutes (Sangarun, 2005), 10 minutes (Gilabert, 2007;Yuan & Ellis, 2003), 5 minutes (Tavakoli & Skehan, 2005), 3 minutes (Williams, 1992), and 1 minute (Mehnert, 1998).…”

Effects of Task Repetition on Saudi EFL Learners’ Reading Comprehension

“…Thus, it is imperative to understand what degree of learning is encouraged through learner task engagement. From a psychological standpoint, it has been theorised that learners prioritise the significance of form when they are exposed to task engagement (Tabari, 2016). Surveys such as that conducted by Kassim et al (2018) showed that specific task forms support learners to take part in cognitive procedures that improve reading comprehension.…”