Influence of a perspective oriented task, executive function, and trait perspective taking on EFL Writing

Abstract

This study adopted a cognitive approach and investigated the effect of a writing task on the passages composed by B2-level EFL learners by considering their executive function and trait perspective-taking capabilities. The experimental group was exposed to a perspective-oriented writing task. Most importantly, they were asked to read three short messages shared by their audience, then take their perspective and write down whatever came to their minds. A perspective-neutral control group was also asked to read the messages but was not encouraged to take the audience's perspective. They were just asked to write down whatever came to their minds. Then, both groups tried to write a convincing passage and completed four executive function tasks and a trait perspective-taking scale. The results revealed that exposing B2-level EFL learners to a perspective-oriented task increased the overall writing quality of the participants if they have high executive function or trait perspective-taking capabilities. These findings confirm the importance of a task for directing and managing cognitive resources and show the executive function's central role and trait perspective-taking’s importance in writing. The tasks that encourage employing these individual resources may enrich the instructor toolboxes.