Abstract:
This study investigated the effect of sequencing tasks from simple to complex along +/- reasoning demands on fluency in writing task performance of English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners. The participants of this study included 90 intermediate EFL learners from three intact class divisions at the Islamic Azad Uni-versity, Shahr-e-Qods Branch. They were distributed in three groups: Experimental A, Experimental B, and a Control group. The students in all groups participated in the writing pre-test. During the eight treatment sessions (in relation to task performance) the first experimental group received a series of picture description tasks in a randomized order of cognitive complexity. The second experimental group received the same tasks, but ordered from simple to complex based on their required reasoning demands. The control group, however, did not receive any picture description tasks; rather they received some typical writing activities. Finally, the post-test was administered to all participants. The results of the data analysis, through Analysis of Variances (ANOVA) using the SPSS software, showed no significant impact for sequencing tasks from simple to complex on fluency in writing task performance.
Machine summary:
Several empirical studies tested Robinson’s hypothesis by investigating the role of task com- plexity on task-based instruction by using various task-complexity variables such as ± here and now (Gilabert, 2005; Robinson, 1995; Robinson, Ting, & Urwin, 1995), ± reasoning demand (Iwashita, Elder, & McNamara, 2001), and ± few elements (Kuiken, Mos, & Vedder, 2005; Kuiken & Ved- der, 2007).
To fulfil the purpose of this study, the following research question was raised: Does manipulating task complexity along the resource-directing dimension of (+/- intentional reasoning demands) have any significant effect on EFL learners’ writing task performance in terms of fluency?
The following null hypothesis was also devel- oped from the research question: Manipulating task complexity along the re- source-directing dimension of (+/-intentional reasoning demands) does not have any sig- nificant effect on EFL learners’ writing task performance in terms of fluency.
In English as a second language, as Robinson (2011) proposed, the same process happens; in other words, tasks which require complex reason- ing about the intentional states that motivate oth- ers to perform actions can be expected to draw the use of cognitive state terms for reference to other minds.
Based on the results of this study, the null hypothesis was not rejected, since sequencing tasks from simple to complex along +/- intentional reasoning demands was shown to have no significant impact on EFL learners’ writing task performance in terms of fluency.