Effects of Interactive Text Chat and Independent Writing on Iranian EFL Language Learning

The present Study tries to examine the degree of significance of interaction for foreign language learning by investigating results of dichotomous kinds of home work tasks. The researcher tried to compare: (a) interactive assignment, accomplished through text chat activities, and (b) individual assignment, accomplished through independent writing activities. For six weeks participants in two separate intermediate- level English classes in a between-subjects design were exposed to the two different situations and accomplished the supposed activities three times a week. In the assigned interactive situation, learner pairs involved in real-time text-chat sessions, accomplishing activities planned to promote interaction and collaboration via opinion-gaps or information- reasoning-. While In the individual situation, learners accomplished similar writing tasks alone. The same language input was provided in both conditions and the essential production, over an equivalent amount of time was the same in two conditions as well. Language improvements were examined via pre- and post-tests of writing, vocabulary, and speaking. Learners in the interactive situation revealed more obvious gains in oral production and vocabulary knowledge than learners in the individual situation, but it was found that learners’ writing accuracy or complexity did not differ. Comparison of the outcomes of the present study at the beginning of the survey and later in the study reveals that learners in the interactive situation created more English types and tokens in their activities than learners in the individual situation too. Thus the obtained findings of the study support the advantages of assigning interactive activities for foreign language production and acquisition.