The Effect of Planning on the Iranian EFL Learners` Performance of Grammatical Collocations in Speech

Abstract

The present study explores the effects of pre-task as well as on-line planning on the production of grammatical collocations in speech. Also the impact of language of inner speech during planning was probed. Participants of the study were 45 advanced Iranian EFL learners in a private English institute. Data was elicited through using a narrative task. The results indicate that although on-line planning can significantly improve learners` production of grammatical collocations in speech, effect of pre-task planning on learners` performance of grammatical collocations is not noticeable. Also thinking in Persian combined with English during planning had the most noticed effect on the accuracy rate of participants’ speech. Giving sufficient time to learners during task performance and the prominence of metecognitive strategy training can be considered as the pedagogical implications of the study.