The Effect of Argument Mapping on Iranian EFL Intermediate Learners Writing Achievement

The present study was an attempt to examine the effect of argument mapping on Iranian EFL learners’ writing achievement and L2 writing components, including grammar, coherence, cohesion, and task achievement. Furthermore, the effect of argument mapping on learners’ critical thinking and problem solving were also scrutinized. To do this, two different task types, i.e. an expository and a narrative task were used. The participants of the study were 60 intermediate EFL learners at Fadak language institute in Tehran. The selected participants were randomly assigned into two groups: an experimental and a control group each with 30 participants. All the participants in both experimental and control groups were exposed to the same materials, course books, and they were taught by the same teacher. The only difference was that the learners in the experimental group received specific instruction about argument mapping, whereas, the learners in the control group did not receive such an instruction. After 10 sessions of treatment, the learners in the two groups were asked to write a narratives and an expository paragraph. The results of the data analysis revealed that argument mapping strategies could improve EFL learners’ writing ability in terms of grammar, coherence, cohesion, and task achievement. However, argument mapping was not beneficial in improving the vocabulary of second language learners in writing. Argument mapping as a cognitive tool can enhance learners’ critical thinking and problem solving skills during writing. The Findings have pedagogical implications for EFL language teachers and syllabus designers.