1 50 The Effect of Processing Instruction and Output-Based Instruction on the Interpretation and Production of English Causatives Birjandi Parviz b Rahemi Jamileh c b Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran c Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran 1 9 2009 12 2 1 30 This study was intended to compare processing instruction (PI), an input-based approach to L2 grammar instruction developed by VanPatten (1996), with an output-oriented type of instruction (OI) to assess their relative effects on learners' ability to interpret and produce English causatives. A pretest and posttest (immediate and delayed effects) design was used. 151 university students from four intact classes were randomly assigned to three treatment groups of PI, OI, and EI (Explicit-information-only) and one uninstructed control group (C). Students were assessed on interpretation and controlled written production tasks at the sentence level. Within-group comparisons indicated that the three instructional options, as compared to the control group, resulted in some kind of knowledge gain in both interpretation and production tasks, but the gains were not equal. The results of between-group comparisons contradicted VanPatten's claims about the superiority of PI over OI. While PI and OI were equally better than EI on interpretation tasks, OI group outperformed both PI and EI on production tasks. No significant difference was found between PI and EI on production tasks. The same results were obtained after a one-month interval, reflecting the durability of the instructional effects on the interpretation and production of the target structure.
51 On the Role of Instruction, Language Proficiency, and Personality Traits in the Use of Communication Strategies by L2 Learners Kaivanpanah Shiva d Yamouty Pooneh e d University of Tehran e University of Tehran 1 9 2009 12 2 31 67 Following controversies over teaching communication strategies, the present study, first, examined the impact of language proficiency and extraversion/introversion on the use of communication strategies (hereafter CSs) by administrating communication strategy questionnaire developed by the researchers on the basis of Dornyei and Scott's (1997) Inventory of Strategic Language Devices and the Persian restandardized form of EPQ to 182 students at elementary, pre-intermediate, and intermediate levels in a private English Language Institute. The One-way ANOVA and independent sample t-test analyses were performed to examine the effects of language proficiency and extraversion/introversion on the use of CSs. The analyses of the data indicated that language proficiency does not influence the use of CSs and CSs favored by introverts are similar to those favored by extraverts they only differ in the use of a few strategies. Second, the impact of teaching CSs of circumlocution, appeal for help, time-stalling devices, and message abandonment on Iranian EFL elementary students' oral performance was investigated. Four intact classes were selected (3 as the treatment groups with 27 students and 1 as the control class with 20 students). Data were collected through video/tape recording of pre and post tests of picture description, telling a story, and telling a joke and CSs were identified on the basis of Dornyei and Scott's (1997) taxonomy of CSs. The Chi-square analysis of the findings revealed that teaching circumlocution, appeal for help, and time-stalling devices are pedagogically effective.  52 Self-Esteem and Cognitive-Affective Reading-Based Courses in an EFL Context Khazaeenezhad Bahareh f Talebinezhad Mohammad Reza g f Sheikhbahaee University, Isfahan g Sheikhbahaee University, Isfahan 1 9 2009 12 2 69 83 This study presents a preliminary step towards approaching a cognitive-affective course or, in Forgas' (2001) terms, an affect into thought infusion course, which focuses on reading open-ended stories. By relying on the course in which open-ended stories were used as materials to provide the basis for the broad objectives of the study, attempts were made to investigate the impact of a cognitive affective course on learners' self-esteem. The studies in the literature empirically support the positive relationship between self-esteem on the one hand, and academic success, second language performance and language learning strategy use, on the other. This study was based on a quasi-experimental design in which Pre-test post-test method was used.  Eighty intermediate EFL students studying English at Iran Language Institute (ILI) with the age range of 13-15, participated in this study. The participants' self-esteem was measured by Coppersmith's self-esteem scale (1967) before and after a ten-week interval. Meanwhile, the participants in the experimental group were provided with open-ended stories where they were asked to empathize with characters, predict the ending of the story to reflect their own choice and feeling and also connect the themes of the stories to their own experiences. The results of covariance analyses (ANCOVA) indicated that using open-ended stories in the cognitive-affective reading-based course helped the participants improve their self-esteem. Also, this study provided the empirical evidence for the therapeutic role of the cognitive-affective reading-based course in which open-ended stories were used.   53 Developing Rating Scale Descriptors for Assessing the Stages of Writing Process: The Constructs Underlying Students’ Writing Performances Maftoon Parviz h Akef Kourosh i h Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran i Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran 1 9 2009 12 2 85 116 The purpose of the present study was to develop appropriate scoring scales for each of the defined stages of the writing process, and also to determine to what extent these scoring scales can reliably and validly assess the performances of EFL learners in an academic writing task. Two hundred and two students’ writing samples were collected after a step-by-step process oriented essay writing instruction. Four stages of writing process – generating ideas (brainstorming), outlining (structuring), drafting, and editing – were operationally defined. Each collected writing sample included student writers’ scripts produced in each stage of the writing process. Through a detailed analysis of the collected writing samples by three raters, the features which highlighted the strong or weak points in the student writers’ samples were identified, and then the student writers’ scripts were categorized into four levels of performance. Then, descriptive statements were made for each identified feature to represent the specified level of performance. These descriptive statements, or descriptors, formed rating scales for each stage of the writing process. Finally, four rating sub-scales, namely brainstorming, outlining, drafting, and editing were designed for the corresponding stages of the writing process. Subsequently, the designed rating scales were used by the three raters to rate the 202 collected writing samples. The scores thus obtained were put to statistical analyses. The high inter-rater reliability estimate (0.895) indicated that the rating scales could produce consistent results. The Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) indicated that there was no significant difference among the ratings created by the three raters. Factor analysis suggested that at least three constructs, –language knowledge, planning ability, and idea creation ability – could possibly underlie the variables measured by the rating scale.   54 Multiple Intelligence-based Focus on Form and Iranian EFL Learners' Accurate Use of Grammar Saeidi Mahnaz j j Islamic Azad University, Tabriz Branch, Tabriz 1 9 2009 12 2 117 136 This study examined the effect of Multiple Intelligence-based Focus on Form on enabling EFL learners to develop both the grammatical knowledge of the target structures (simple present and present progressive) and the ability to use it in written language context. Three different treatments were employed in three experimental groups: Multiple Intelligence-based Focus on Form (MI-FoF) focused on form, meaning, and use, along with learners' strengths and interests in language learning Focus on Form (FoF) focused on form, meaning, and use Focus on Meaning (FoM) focused on meaning. The control group, Focus on FormS (Fs), focused on explicit grammar instruction. In an intact group design, involving 218 university students, the outcome of the study, based on both direct (multiple choice questions) and indirect (free composition) types of tests, indicated that the performance of the participants didn’t differ significantly in the four groups in the indirect type of test but the performance of the MI-FoF differed significantly from the other groups in the direct type of test. This result can be attributed to the integration of MI into FoF, which enabled learners to engage in meaningful tasks actively, which, in turn, suggests that insights provided by MI can be very decisive in implementing FoF.  55 Text Editing and Reconstructing in EFL Writings of Narrative and Exposition: A Study in Form-focused Approach Shokouhi Hossein k Alishahi Zahra l k Shahid Chamran University, Ahvaz l Shahid Chamran University, Ahvaz 1 9 2009 12 2 137 155 The current literature on second language pedagogy promotes a return to some form-focused instruction where collaborative tasks are encouraged.  This study reports on the impact of form-focused instruction and peer revision (text-editing collaborative task)on subjects’ final performance in second language writing in two rhetorical modes of narrationand exposition produced by 60 junior and senior students of English divided equally into the controlled and experimental groups. The results confirmed that form-focused instruction has a better impact on simple than complex grammatical elements. The study also confirmed the significant effect of the form-focused instruction on the inter-lingual errors, and it revealed some positive effects of collaborative task especially on more proficient learners. The findings also disclosed that different processes are involved in editing as well as reconstructing expository and narrative genres. The fact that writing narrative texts was more demanding than the exposition for the learners implies the complexity of this genre in terms of cognitive processing and linguistic presentation, hence a more involvement of writing teachers on this genre is recommended.  56 Enhancing EFL Learners' Emotional Intelligence through Fuzzy Thinking and Emotional Engineering Tajeddin Zia m Alavinia Parviz n m Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran n Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran 1 9 2009 12 2 157 177 Among the major milestones in the history of psychological attempts and psycholinguistic investigations lies the inception and outbreak of the contentious field of emotional intelligence in the mid 1990s. Although subsequent to its advent a profusion of diverse probes from several neighboring disciplines have been devoted to disentangling the true nature of this rather avant-garde doctrine, some aspects of EQ still seem to have been given scant attention in L2 learning research. One such partially neglected facet is thought to be the investigation of the role of intervention studies in enhancing EFL learners’ emotional intelligence. Thus, the present study aims to somehow bridge this ostensible gap in the literature on the issue by resorting to two innovative techniques of fuzzy thinking and SAFE (Sign-Assisted Feeling Expression). The results gained point to significant leaps in EFL learners’ level of emotional intelligence with regard to some particular subscales of Bar-On's EQ-i which are attributable to the effect of treatment on participants.