The Effect of Concept Mapping on Learning English Requests by Iranian High School Students

Abstract

The Research into interlanguage pragmatics has prominent significance nowadays. Due to severe negative consequences of failure in performing and interpreting speech acts such as request, the present study investigated the effect of concept mapping on learning English requests by Iranian high school students. To this aim, 72 intermediate male English students (ranging in age from 15 to 18) that were in two intact groups from a city in northeastern Iran, voluntarily took part in the study. Data for this study were collected using English Test- Beginner (proficiency test) and Multiple Discourse Completion Task Test (MDCT). The results indicated there was a statistically significant difference between the request speech act knowledge of those learners who were taught requests through concept mapping and those who were taught traditionally. The results of the current study have important implications for syllabus designers and material developers particularly in EFL contexts.