The Effects of Task Type, Strategic Planning and No Planning on Written Performance of Iranian Intermediate EFL Learners

Tasks hold a central place in SLA research and language pedagogy. Any single task can be performed in a number of different ways, depending on how the speakers consider it and the knowledge and skill they can bring to bear. Other factors may influence EFL learners' performance on tasks, among them are: task structure (structured or unstructured), modality of task (oral or written), planning condition (pre-planning or no-planning), and learner factors (such as gender, age,...). Few studies have been carried out on the effects of learner factors on aspects of task performance. As the literature lacked studies on written tasks and the effect of participant factor on learners' performance, the present study set out to investigate the effect of strategic planning and no-planning, task type on different aspects of performance. To achieve this purpose 60 learners, i.e. 30 for strategic planning group and 30 for no-planning group, from intact classes were randomly assigned to two groups, each consisting of 30 students. Each learner in each of the two groups performed two types of tasks, i.e. personal and narrative tasks, over a period of three weeks. Learners' performance was measured in terms of fluency and accuracy. The data were collected and analyzed. The following results were obtained: a. There was a significant difference between strategic planned with no detailed guidance and no-planned groups in terms of performance measures; b. There was a significant difference between the two types of tasks; c. There was not any interaction between task type and planning condition. The findings revealed that giving learners time to plan before commencing the task, leading them to better performance. Also, the type of the task had an effect on their performance, i.e. the structured task was easier to perform than the other task. The findings revealed strong effects of planning on all aspects of learners' performance. In terms of interaction, there was not any interaction between task type and planning condition. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.