A Close Examination of Academic Argumentative Writing: Syntactic and Lexical Complexity in Iranian EFL Learners of an EAP Program

This study examines the importance of argumentative writing in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) programs at universities. Focused on improving proficiency, it assesses the impact of an ۸-week, ۱۲۰-hour EAP program on ۸۰ participants from ۲۰۲۲ and ۲۰۲۳ cohorts. The study categorizes students into Pre-IELTS EAP and IELTS EAP groups, using tools like a Mock IELTS Exam and Argumentative Writing Tasks, and software like Coh-Metrix and Vocabprofiler for complexity analysis. Results show significant proficiency improvements, affirming EAP's transformative role in academic discourse. The study proposes future research on longitudinal analyses, cross-cultural investigations, and qualitative assessments to enhance EAP curricula and teaching strategies.

Keywords:

Argumentative writing , English for Academic Purposes (EAP) , Lexical complexity , Syntactic complexity , EAP program evaluation