The Impact of Using Pictures and Other Graphic Devices to Improve EFL Learners' L2 Writing Skill

Abstract

The goal of the study was to investigate the impact of using pictures and other graphic devices to improve the writing skill of the EFL learners of the study in a language institute in Bandar Abbas. To this purpose and as an experimental method of research, two groups of learners were chosen to participate in the experiment. The population of the study was composed of two intermediate groups of EFL learners in Shokouh Language Institute in Bandar Abbas. All of the language learners, male and female (n = 42), made up the study population. After taking the Oxford Placement Test and drawing the result, 6 subjects whose scores fell too far from the mean were excluded from the study. The other remaining 36 ones made up the subjects of the study and were classified into two groups. The first 18 ones were randomly selected and made up the experimental group (EG) and the other 18 ones made up the control group (CG). In order to maximize the validity and reliability of the results of the study, three types of instruments were used: a placement test, pre and posttests of writing and interview to seek the attitudes of the EFL learners. Results revealed that the subjects in the EG outperformed the ones in the CG. This supports the effect of the use of pictures in the L2 writing class.