Effects of Generic Features of Task, Gender, and Proficiency Level on EFL Learners’ Written Task Performance in Terms of Accuracy

Abstract

The present study aims at investigating the effects of three factors namely generic features of task, proficiency level of L2 learners, and gender of language learners (male and female) on their language production in terms of the linguistic domain of accuracy. The aim of conducting this study was to find out the possible effects that generic features of task (descriptive and narrative), L2 learners’ proficiency level (intermediate and advanced) and their gender (male and female) can have on their task performance in terms of accuracy of their written production. For the purpose of the study, eighty intermediate and advanced male and female learners of English were selected. They were given two writing tasks with different generic features namely a narrative and a descriptive task. The written performances of the learners were quantified and measured and then they were analyzed by the appropriate statistical means of analysis. It was found that there were significant differences between the performances of advanced and intermediate male and female learners in terms of written task accuracy. It was also found that the advanced learners’ written task performance was significantly influenced by generic features of the tasks, L2 learners’ proficiency level and their gender. Thus, deductions were made that gender of the L2 learners’ as well as the generic features of task has significant effects on their written task production in terms of accuracy.