A Comparative Study of the Effects of Meaningful Cognitive Task Types and Form-focused Tasks on Oral Interaction among Iranian EFL Learners

Subject Areas : Journal of Language, Culture, and Translation

Shima Ghiabi ¹ , Abbas Bayat ^{2 *} , Hamid reza Khalaji ³

1 - Ph.D. Candidate, Department of English Language, Malayer Branch, Islamic Azad University, Malayer, Iran
2 - Assistant Professor, Department of English Language, Malayer Branch, Islamic Azad University, Malayer, Iran
3 - Assistant Professor, Department of English Language, Malayer Branch, Islamic Azad University, Malayer, Iran

Received: 2024-04-10 Accepted : 2024-09-05 Published : 2024-09-05

Keywords: Cognitive task types, EFL learners, Form-focused tasks, Oral interaction ,

Abstract :

The present study investigated the impact of meaningful cognitive task types—specifically information gap, opinion gap, and reasoning gap tasks—alongside form-focused tasks, such as pre-scripted role-play, on oral interaction among Iranian intermediate EFL learners. Following a rigorous sample selection process and adherence to ethical research standards, the researcher conducted interviews with teacher participants via social media platforms, including WhatsApp and Telegram, to facilitate participation. To enhance the credibility and dependability of the interview data, low inference descriptors and member-checking techniques were utilized. The findings indicated a significant increase in oral interaction among the learners, particularly in terms of the Initiation-Response-Feedback (IRF) pattern, following the implementation of both meaningful cognitive tasks and form-focused tasks. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that these task types not only enhance learners’ enjoyment of EFL oral interaction but also contribute to increased participation rates. The research highlighted some implications for the ELT community.

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