The Effect of Integrated and Independent Tasks on English Foreign Language learners' writing ability
الموضوعات : نشریه مطالعات آموزش زبان انگلیسی
Amir Hossein Moghaddam
1
(Islamic Azad University, Takestan Branch)
الکلمات المفتاحية: collaborating, integrated task, independent task, TOFEL iBT, intermediate,
ملخص المقالة :
This study aimed at investigating the difference of integrated writing task of the TOFEL iBT candidates in comparison with independent writing task on Iranian EFL learners writing performance. The initial population for the study was 50 junior EFL students. To get more homogeneity, participants were selected among those who were studying in the third year of university in EFL major. They were male and female students. They were all from Azad university of Tehran-, central branch with the age range of 20-22. Thirty three students were recognized as being at the intermediate level of proficiency. Three students quitted collaborating with the researcher. So, the number of participants decreased and out of them 30 was randomly assigned to two groups. The researcher grouped the learners into two fifteen groups. The first group who has received the integrated type of writing as the method of writing practice during the course of advanced writing at the university control group and the second group who has been taught the independent type of writing as the method of learning how to write. In the first group, the learners were given the writing that accompanied with graphic interpretation and description whereas the second group was given only a topic for essay writing. The results revealed that the integrated-task group outperformed the independent-task group in writing scores.
Alderson, J. Ch. (2009). Test review: Test of English as a Foreign Language TM: Internet-based Test (TOEFL iBT®). Language Testing Journal 2009 26 (4) 621–631.
Bernal, Ch. (2013). Review of the Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet Based Test (TOEFL iBT) writing test. Educational Testing Service. Papers in Language Testing and Assessment Vol. 2, Issue 2, 2013.
Carson, J. (2001). A task analysis of reading and writing in academic contexts. In D. Belcher & A. Hirvela (Eds.), Linking literacies: Perspectives on L2 reading-writing connections (pp. 48-83). Ann Arbor, MI: The University of Michigan Press.
Casanave, C. & Hubbard, P. (1992). The writing assignments and writing problems of doctoral students: faculty perceptions, pedagogical issues, and needed research. English for Specific Purposes Journal, 11, 33-49.
Chapelle, C. A., Enright, M. K., & Jamieson, J. M. (2008). Test score interpretation and use. In C. A. Chapelle, M. K. Enright, & J. M. Jamieson (Eds.), Building a validity argument for the test of English as a foreign language (pp. 145-186). New York, NY: Routledge.
Coulmas, F. (2003). Writing systems: An introduction to their linguistic analysis. Cambridge: Cambridge university press.
Cumming, A. (1997). Learning to write in a second language: two decades of research. International Journal of English Studies, 1(2), 1-23.
Cumming, A. (2006). Goals for academic writing: ESL students and their instructors. Amsterdam, Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company.
Delaney, Y. A. (2008). Investigating the reading-to-write construct. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 7, 140-150.
Educational Testing Service (2007). TOEFL iBT tips. How to prepare for the TOEFL iBT. Available at http://www.ets.org/Media/Tests/TOEFL/pdf/TOEFL_Tips.pdf. Last accessed March 9, 2009.
Educational Testing Service (2008). Validity evidence supporting the interpretation and use of TOEFL iBT scores. Available at http://www.ets.org/Media/Tests/TOEFL/pdf/ TOEFL_iBT_Validity.pdf.
Educational Testing Service (2009). The official guide to the TOEFL test. Available at http://dl.lux.bookfi.org/genesis/209000/8c2ec7cbfad6755d2086d5cb72a7f41a/_as/%5B%5D_The_Official_Guide_to_the_TOEFL_iBT(BookFi.org).pdf
Enright, M. K. & Quinlan, T. (2009). Complementing human judgment of essays written by English language learners with e-rater® scoring. Manuscript submitted for publication, Educational Testing Service.
Esmaeili, H. (2002). Integrated reading and writing tasks and ESL students’ reading and writing performance in an English language test. The Canadian Modern Language Review, 58(4),599-622.
Foo, T.CH.V. (2007). The effects of the process-genre approach to writing instruction on the expository essays of ESL students in a Malaysian secondary school. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Kuala Lunpur, Malaysia.
Halliday, M. A. K. (1985). Spoken and written language. Victoria: Dakin university press.
Hamp-Lyons, L. & Kroll, B. (1996). Issues in ESL writing assessment: an overview. College ESL, 6(1), 52-72.
Huff, K., Powers, D. E., Kantor, R. N., Mollaun, P., Nissan, S., & Schedl, M. (2008). Prototyping a new test. In C. A. Chapelle, M. K. Enright, & J. M. Jamieson (Eds.), Building a validity argument for the test of English as a foreign language (pp. 187-225). NY: Routledge.
Jamieson, J. M., Eignor, D., Grabe, W., & Kunnan, A. J. (2008). Framework for a new TOEFL. In C. A. Chapelle, M. K. Enright, & J. M. Jamieson (Eds.), Building a validity argument for the test of English as a foreign language (pp. 145-186). NY: Routledge.
Lee, D. & Anderson, C. (2007). Validity and topic generality of a writing performance test. Language Testing, 24(3), 307-330.
Nunan, D. (2001). Second language learning and teaching. Boston, Massachusetts: Heinle & Heinle Publishers.
Olshtain, E. (2001). Functional task for mastering the mechanics of writing and going just beyond. In M, Celce-Murcia. Teaching English as a second or foreign language (pp. 207-217). Boston: Heinle & Heinle.
Plakans, L. (2008). Comparing composing process in writing-only and reading-to-write test tasks. Assessing Writing, 13, 111-129.
Rivers, W.M. (1981). Teaching foreign language skills. Chicago: The university of Chicago press.
Sawaki, Y., Stricker, L., & Oranje, A. (2008). Factor structure of the TOEFL Internet-based test (iBT): Exploration in a field trial sample. (TOEFL iBT Research Report No. TOEFLiBT-04).Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service.
Schmitt, N. (2002). An introduction to applied linguistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Tan, H. (2009). What is writing and why there is a need to learn it? Retrieved 22, July, 2012 from http://www.heddatan.com/a-definition-of-writing.html.
Weigle, S. C. (2002). Assessing Writing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Weigle, S. C. (2004). Integrating reading and writing in a competency test for non-native speakers of English. Assessing Writing, 9, 27-55.
Zamel, V. (1983). The composing processes of advanced ESL students: six case studies. TESOL Quarterly, 17, 165-187.
