The Effect Of Register Instruction On Efl Learners' Writing Performance

The purpose of the present study was twofold. First, it examined the effect of a register-based approach to writing instruction based on the insights gained from Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL). Second, it attempted to examine the perceptions of the participants toward the register-based approach to writing. To this end, 100 intermediate and advanced students were selected and assigned to two experimental groups (advanced and intermediate ones) and two control groups. Prior to any instruction, the participants of all groups were assigned a writing task as a pre-test. The experimental groups were treated with SFL-oriented register knowledge for 20 sessions while control groups were exposed to the traditional method of teaching writing. Following the treatment, a post test was administered to the groups. The results revealed that the participants in the experimental groups surpassed their counterparts in the control groups. The results of qualitative analysis also disclosed that learners held positive attitudes towards this approach as it heightened their interest in writing.