The relationship between emotional intelligence and writing ability of Iranian EFL learners

Abstract: Success in educational settings is an ever-present wish. For EFL learners, writing ability is a highly favored but neglected skill. As opposed to IQ, Emotional Intelligence (EI) theory is increasingly characterized as contributing to students ' ability to improve their achievement. In this study, the body of female BA sophomores of TEFL in Urmia University, (N = 47), within the age range of 18-25, was given a close look in terms of their EI. The students were first given Bar-On's Emotional Quotient Inventory (a Likert scale questionnaire) and were asked to respond to its items based on the relevance of the statements to themselves. Thereafter, the students were given a writing test and the resulting scores were correlated with their EI scores. The scoring of writing tasks was done analytically following pre-specified criteria. The writings were scored once by two raters, yielding an inter-rater reliability of 0.8. Results obtained through Multiple Regression rendered a positive relationship between writing ability and emotional self-awareness, a subcategory of EI. This can create a room for highlighting emotions in one's educational life