The effects of pre-task planning on foreign language performance

The Effects of Pm-task Planning on Foreign Language Performance Jiraporn Sanganin Ph.D. Thesis Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning, OISE, University oCToronio, 2001 To date. Little Lî research bas investigated either pre-task planning processes or application of pre-task plans. To fil1 this gap in research literanxre, this study examines, arnong JO Gnde 11 Thai EFL students, the effects both of pre-task planning conditions and levels of cognitive and linguistic demand of t aks upon: (1) the participants' pre-task planning processes; (2) their application of pre-task plans; and (3) the complexity, accuracy. itnd fluency of their produced monologues. Data were collected, using a 4-by-2 research design with four PR-task planning conditions and two task types. Three of the four pre-task planning conditions were established based on their particular focus: content focused (CFPP), Ianguage focused (LFPP), and content and language focused (CLFPP). The fourch, minimal pre-task planning, was a conuol condition. The two tasks had, respectively, a low and a high level of cognitive and linguistic demand (LCLD and Ha). Results regarding the effects of the CFPP, LFPP, and CLFeP conditions show tfiat: (1) the pre-task planning processes underlying these ihree conditions were consistent with Levelt's (1989) speech production model; (2) the CFPP and CLFPP conditions promoted participants' application of their pre-task plans; (3) the CFPP and CLFPP conditions promoted complexity, respectively, in the low and high tasks; and (4) the three conditions promoted accuracy and fluency, either in one. the other, or both tasks. Results conceming task demand show that: (1) the LCLD task was more effective than the HCLD cask in influencing participants to direct their attention towards content planning; (2) the LCLD and HCLD tasks did not differently affect the participants' application of their pre-task plans; and (3) the HCLD task promoted complexity while the LCLD task promoted accuracy and fluency. The results support the c l a h of previous research that pre-task planning has the potentiai to improve EFL learners' speech performance. They aIso suggest that Levelt's (1989) mode1 of speech production is relevant for. (1) andyzing EFL leamers' pre-task planning process; (2) explaining its eflects on the learners' application of pre-task plans and produced speech; and (3) guiding pedagogy on pre-task planning implementation.

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