The Effectiveness of Brainstorming Strategies on Essay Writing in EFL Classes

Abstract

Brainstorming has always been useful for bringing change to essay- writing  skills, such as the generation of ideas through coherence and accuracy regarding language. At the same time, this present study aimed to explore whether and to what extent applying brainstorming techniques would significantly help EFL learners in Oman's cultural backdrop. This was a mixed-method approach within which the assessment of the three major strategies available to enhance mind mapping, clustering and students free writing of essays was used. This is quasi-experimental design includes 100 intermediate level EFL learners assigned to either an experimental or a control group from Sohar University. The change in the writing performance is assessed by pre, and post-test and questionnaire and interview were considered to collect qualitative data. The findings revealed the fluency, organization, and accuracy facilitated by brainstorming, while also highlighting cultural considerations that best supported the implementation of the strategy. The study addressed the gap that had separated the theoretical and practical dimensions of brainstorming within EFL pedagogy and provided several recommendations considering the case of Omani classrooms.