Studying Outlines as an Expository Texts Enhancement Technique and the Mediating Role of Visual/Verbal Intelligences

The present study sought to find if reading comprehension can be enhanced through the employment of cognitive organizers in comparison to text-only condition. It further investigated whether visual and verbal intelligences can predict learners’ performance on different types of input modes. A total of 71 English as foreign language undergraduates (both male and female) at two state-run universities in Iran took part in the present research. Three sets of instruments were employed: (1) an actual TOEFL (ETS, 2004), (2) cognitive organizers package (Katayama & Robinson, 2000), and (3) the multiple intelligence inventory (Mckenzie, 1999). Each participating intact class was randomly divided into two groups of text-only (receiving a text twice) and cognitive organizers (receiving the outline of the text). The results showed that (a) outlines (input type) significantly enhanced reading comprehension in comparison to text-only condition, (b) visual intelligence was the significant predicator of outline group’s performance, and (c) verbal intelligence predicted neither of text-only and outline groups’ performance.