Neutralizing Trade-off Effect between Accuracy and Fluency in EFL Writing by Mentor Text Modeling: Cognitive Complexity in Focus

Reza Biria,Farahnaz Liaghat

doi:10.7575/aiac.ijalel.v.7n.2p.134

Abstract

The present study sought to explore the efficacy of a brand-new approach to teaching writing called mentor text modeling in neutralizing trade-off effect between accuracy and fluency in writing tasks with different levels of cognitive complexity. To this end, a total of 60 (30 male and 30 female) Iranian EFL learners were randomly selected and assigned to three groups of comparison, each containing 20 (10 male and 10 female) learners. Employing a pretest/posttest experimental design, learners of the three groups received instruction on advanced writing during an 11-week course. At the commencement of the course, the learners’ fluency and accuracy in writing were gaged through three writing tasks with high, moderate, and low levels of cognitive complexity. Having been exposed to the same instructional input, the learners of each group underwent writing instructions based on one of three approaches to teaching writing, namely, mentor text modeling, product-based approach, and process-based approach. At the end of the study course, the learners’ writing performance was assessed on three tasks parallel to the pretest measures. Results of running correlation analysis indicated that contrary to the two traditional approaches to teaching writing, mentor text modeling was capable of improving accuracy and fluency simultaneously and, as a result, was found to be effective in neutralizing the trade-off effect between accuracy and fluency in writing tasks with high, moderate, and low cognitive complexity levels. The study’s finding may urge EFL teachers to include mentor texts while teaching writing to realize a balanced improvement in EFL learners’ writing competence.

Highlights

Results of running correlation analysis indicated that contrary to the two traditional approaches to teaching writing, mentor text modeling was capable of improving accuracy and fluency simultaneously and, as a result, was found to be effective in neutralizing the trade-off effect between accuracy and fluency in writing tasks with high, moderate, and low cognitive complexity levels
After a deep examination of the three approaches under investigation, the results revealed that contrary to the two traditional approaches to teaching writing which enhanced either accuracy or fluency at the expense of the other, mentor text modeling affected both accuracy and fluency positively
The study came to a conclusion that the efficacy of mentor text modeling in simultaneous development of accuracy and fluency was not dependent on the writing tasks’ level of cognitive complexity

Summary

Objectives

The chief aim of this study was to scrutinize the capability of mentor text modeling in neutralizing trade-off effect between accuracy and fluency in comparison with the other two prevalent approaches to teaching writing in Iranian EFL writing contexts; product-based and process-based approaches. The study explored the relationship between writing tasks’ cognitive complexity and the efficacy of mentor text modeling in neutralizing trade-off effect between accuracy and fluency. Based on the research goals enumerated above, the study perused the following research questions. 1. Does adopting mentor text modeling approach to teaching writing yields simultaneous development in Iranian EFL learners’ accuracy and fluency in writing? 2. Is there any significant interaction between writing tasks’ level of cognitive complexity and the efficacy of mentor text modeling in neutralizing trade-off effect between accuracy and fluency?

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion