The effect of negotiation of meaning on the accuracy in EFL writing

Abstract

This paper reports the results of a study on collaborative writing in a foreign language context, Iran, comparing the performance of one group of Iranian intermediate learners on three different writing tasks: individual writing (N=26), pair writing (N=13), and individual writing using a bilingual dictionary (N=26). When writing in pairs, each pair produced a single text. The participants completed narrative writings based on three different picture-cued stories, one working individually, one in pairs, and another individually using a bilingual dictionary. The performance of the participants in three task conditions was compared on the measure of accuracy, focusing on spelling, morphology and structure. The comparison revealed positive effect of pair work on morphological and structural accuracy but there was no effect on spelling. The analysis of pair-talk recordings during the writing activity provides insights into how the pairs worked on different parts of the language. This study has implications for both foreign language teachers, as well as language testers. © 2012 ACADEMY PUBLISHER Manufactured in Finland.