Effectiveness of Textual Enhancement vs. Collaborative Tasks on Learning Passive Structure by Iranian Pre-Intermediate EFL Learners

Different methods for effective learning of English have been proposed by different researchers, but; more investigation is needed to find better ways across various contexts and different proficiency levels of learners. This study is an attempt compare the impacts of textually input-based enhancement (TIE) vs. collaborative output-based tasks (COT) on learning passive structures by Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners. To this end, ۵۴ available Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners, both male and female from Safahan Language Institute in Isfahan, Iran participated in this study. The participants were available Iranian EFL learners accepted to participate in the intermediate level of English File Series. Two different groups including ۲۷ in the group of TIE (i.e. underlining) and ۲۷ in the group of COT (i.e. Dictogloss) were formed. The treatments consisted of underlining and the use of Dictogloss which were used for ۱۵ sessions (each ۹۰ minutes) for both groups. Two standardized multiple-choice tests including ۴۰ items assessing learners’ knowledge of passive structures, were used as pre-test and post-test. The results reveled that both TIE and COT improved knowledge of the EFL learners’ passive structures. Furthermore, the effectiveness of COT was higher than TIE in terms of learning passive structure. EFL instructors, language institutes, curriculum designers and policy makers may benefit from the achieved results.