Reconstruction vs. Interaction-based Output Practice: (in relation to EFL learner’s speaking skill and learning styles)

Subject Areas : All areas of language and translation

Gholam-Reza Abbasian ¹ , Fatemeh Rahmani ²

1 - Faculty of Persian Literature and Foreign Languages, Islamic Azad University, South Tehran Branch
2 - 2Young Researchers and Elite Club, Sari Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sari, Iran

Received: 2014-03-05 Accepted : 2014-10-17 Published : 2014-12-25

Keywords: interaction, Reconstruction- Output Practice Type- Learning Styles- Speaking Skill,

Abstract :

The belief that output practice is crucial in L2 learning affects foreign language teaching methodology. And researchers have endeavored to find the best ways to encourage learners to produce and practice whatever they hear as an input in the process of learning. Moreover, learning styles and the importance of matching learners’ styles with those of teachers inspired the researchers to investigate the role of different learning and teaching styles. This study investigated whether two types of output practices (reconstruction vs. interaction) were effective in improving speaking ability in relation to the learners’ learning styles. For this purpose, 54 female Iranian young EFL students at intermediate level were se-lected based on their performance in the Preliminary English Test (PET). Furthermore, Perceptual Learning Styles Inventory (Reid’s, 1987) was administered to measure the participants’ learning styles prior to the treatment. They were then divided into two groups that one group received the interaction practice-based treatment, while the other group was trained based on reconstruction practice. Finally, an interview was run as a post-test with the same topic with both groups. Meanwhile, their learning styles were also measured to pursue any the probable changes in learners’ learning styles. The results indicated that interaction-based output practice had a greater effect on the improvement of young learn-ers speaking proficiency, while no significant changes were revealed in their learning styles’, though some changes were revealed in when the learning styles were approached discretely, indicating that when a trait is approached as a unitary construct or discretely in relation to certain variables, outcome would be different.