The Impact of Diary Keeping on Iranian EFL Learners’ Writing Accuracy: Past Tense Use across Proficiency Levels

Language is highly context-sensitive and contextual learning of grammatical rulesshows how the rules can be used in sentences. In this line, the present study aimedto investigate the effect of diary writing on the correct use of English past tensesamong Iranian pre-intermediate and upper-intermediate EFL learners. The studyfollowed a quasi-experimental design with pre-test, treatment, and post-test, incontrol and experimental groups. To this end, a total number of 80 pre-intermediateand upper-intermediate learners were recruited based on convenience sampling andrandomly assigned to the study groups. The results of two one-way ANCOVAsrevealed that diary writing had a positive effect on the accurate use of English pasttense at the pre-intermediate level but it did not show a significant effect amongupper-intermediate learners. These findings can have efficient implications for EFLteachers, learners, syllabus designers, as well as material developers. EFL teacherscan make use of diary writing as an effective method to help learners have a bettergrasp of English past tenses. Course designers and material developers are advisedto have the results of this study under advisement and find a way to incorporate diarywriting tasks in their curriculum to help learners get a better understanding of Englishtenses.