2017 IJRSLL – Volume 6 Issue 1
Author/s:
Khanmohamadi, Samira*
SobheSadegh Institute of Higher Education, Isfahan, Iran (khanmohamadi_samira@yahoo.com)
Rezvani, Ehsan
SobheSadegh Institute of Higher Education, Isfahan, Iran (rezvani_ehsan_1982@yahoo.com)
Abstract:
The current study aimed at examining the combined effects of task complexity and recasts on the acquisition of conditional sentences. For this purpose, 90 female students from Sadr institute of higher education in Isfahan were selected. An Oxford Placement Test (OPT) was run to homogenize participants in terms of their English proficiency. Then, a pre-test was administered to determine the learners’ level of knowledge with regard to the target structures. Participants were assigned to three groups; two experimental groups (Complex Task Group (CTG) and Simple Task Group (STG)), and a control group. The two experimental groups differed as to whether or not they could view the pictures while doing the particular task which is conditionally based. The control group received a placebo task with no special treatment. After the treatment, a post-test was administered to measure the effectiveness of the instruction employed for each group. The results showed that both experimental groups displayed evidence of significant improvement from pre-test to post-test; however, the treatment for the CTG was found to be more effective than that used for the STG.
Keywords: task complexity; recasts; conditional constructions
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5861/ijrsll.2016.1370
*Corresponding Author