Enhancing Descriptive Writing Skills in EFL Learners: A Comparative Study of Recasting and Summarizing Techniques

Objective: This study explores the impact of recasting and summarizing tasks on teaching descriptive writing to Iranian EFL high school learners. It examines whether these tasks can enhance the descriptive writing performance of pre-intermediate and intermediate students. Methods: A total of ۱۵۰ male and female students aged ۱۴ to ۱۶ in Rasht were selected through the Assessment English Test (AET) and divided into two experimental groups (recasting and summarizing) and a control group at each proficiency level. After a pre-test, the experimental groups received eight instructional sessions incorporating recasting and summarizing tasks, while the control group followed traditional instruction. Following the intervention, students completed a post-test in which they described their city. Results: The t-tests and ANOVA analysis supported that recasting and summarizing significantly improved learners' descriptive writing skills, with variations in effectiveness observed between pre-intermediate and intermediate learners. Conclusion: It can be concluded that both recasting and summarizing tasks led to noticeable improvements in descriptive writing performance compared to traditional methods. Furthermore, both techniques were equally effective at the pre-intermediate and intermediate levels, though the effects were more pronounced among intermediate learners. Overall, the findings highlight the pedagogical value of integrating recasting and summarizing tasks into EFL writing instruction to promote learners’ descriptive writing skills.

کلیدواژه ها:

EFL Writing ، Recasting ، Summarizing ، Descriptive Writing ، Task-Based Learning ، EFL Writing ، Recasting ، Summarizing ، Descriptive Writing ، Task-Based Learning