Investigating the Effect of Formal Training of Topic-hood on Writing and Reading Comprehension Ability of Iranian EFL Learners

摘要

Topic as one of the main concepts of theory of information structure is represented by rather different linguistic tools in different languages. In present approach, topic is defined based on the pragmatic relation which it plays in a proposition. In this study, it is intended to investigate the effect of formal training of topic-hood on writing and reading abilities of Iranian EFL learners. To achieve this goal, 30 homogenized subjects were chosen to pass a pre-test/treatment/post-test process. To achieve the goals of the study, two researcher-made questionnaires were used: one for writing and another for reading comprehension. The results obtained by running paired T-test show that the attested difference between control and experimental groups was found to be statistically significant, while the difference in reading comprehension was not meaningful. This study can be of great benefit for language teachers, learners and material developers to make use of the latest developments in theoretical linguistics.