Abstract
Every single teaching method has its own merits and demerits; however, teachers typically select a method which they deem suitable. Task-based language teaching, a learner-centered method, advocates the shift from teacher dependence to learner independence. This study was an attempt to find out if traditional writing makes a significant contribution to the development of reading comprehension. It also concentrated on the usefulness of performing writing tasks on the development of reading comprehension. The participants were 60 female advanced EFL learners chosen from among 100 learners, randomly assigned into two groups of 30 learners. During the treatment period, first-group participants received task-based writing instruction while second-group participants received instructions through traditional methods. The analyzed results clearly demonstrated the contribution of task-based writing to the development of reading comprehension of EFL advanced Iranian learners. The findings also showed that traditional writing instruction was not a good means of improving reading comprehension.
Highlights
In traditional learning environments, like those of grammar translation and audio-lingual, language is taught to a group of foreign or second language learners with minor focus on form and major focus on forms
This study was an attempt to find out if traditional writing makes a significant contribution to the development of reading comprehension
It concentrated on the usefulness of performing writing tasks on the development of reading comprehension
Summary
Like those of grammar translation and audio-lingual, language is taught to a group of foreign or second language learners with minor focus on form and major focus on forms. Using tasks as the stepping-stone of syllabus design allows teachers to both sequence lessons and assess their outcomes, while at the same time provides authentic parameters within which students will be able to communicate with each other for a purpose. Most importantly, it paves the way for focusing on what students are saying to one another, rather than on how they are saying it. A task might be short (e.g., ordering a sandwich by telephone) or long (e.g., organizing and publishing a book), but the tasks are always equipped with a clear and practical outcome
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