Modified Output in Task-based EFL Classes across Gender

The current study examined the modification devices (MDs) used by male and female non-native speakers (NNSs) learning EFL during dyadic task-based interactions. Three meaning-oriented tasks, namely picture-description, spot-the-difference, and opinion-exchange, were used to elicit data from 24 (12 male and 12 female, forming 4 male-male, 4 female-female, and 4 male-female dyads) Iranian (Azeri-speaking) EFL learners with intermediate language proficiency in English as L3. All interactions were video-taped and transcribed. For the sake of systematicity, only the first 150 sentences of transcribed data were analyzed to assess the effect of interlocutor’s gender on the usage of different types of modification devices using Mackey et al.’s (2003) model. The findings revealed that ‘confirmation check’ was the device mostly used by both genders. The results also demonstrated that ‘clarification check’ was the most frequently used strategy for negotiation among the students regardless of their gender. Analyses of the data propose that these modification devices facilitate comprehension of input and output and enhance the negotiation for both meaning and form. Further results and implications are discussed in the paper.