Transitional Problems in Iranian EFL Learners' Writing Process: A Think-Aloud Protocol Study

The current study aimed to examine the process of choosing linking words and solving transitional problems in written tasks. To this end, 30 EFL learners (15 males and 15 females) from one language institute in Bushehr were selected for this study. They were asked to write an argumentative and a narrative task. To collect the data, Articulated Thoughts in a Simulated Situation (ATSS), as a think-aloud protocol, was employed. The participants' verbalizations were first recorded, then transcribed and analyzed to examine the cognitive process they engaged in during the completion of their tasks. The results of qualitative data analysis revealed that EFL learners often tended to organize their ideas and have a general plan for the written tasks. More specifically, they differed in terms of attention to different stages of writing, hesitations to monitor the information and various strategies for choosing linking words and problem-solving. This study discusses the results and implications for EFL learners and teachers.