Chapter 4. Structured input vs. traditional instruction on the acquisition of Italian gender agreement

2021 ◽  
pp. 67-88
Keyword(s):  
Traditional Instruction ◽  
Gender Agreement ◽  
Structured Input

The Effect of Structured Input, Meaningful Output and Traditional Instruction on EFL Learners’ Productive Use of Passive Voice

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
pp. 737
Author(s):  
Horye Seyednejad ◽  
Hamid Gholami
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Traditional Instruction ◽  
The Other ◽  
Passive Voice ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Structured Input ◽  
Instruction Group ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Post Hoc

This study aimed at investigating the effect of structured input, meaningful output and traditional instruction on EFL learners’ productive use of passive voice. To achieve this purpose 60 intermediate female EFL learners were selected from Fahim institute in Kermanshah. They were assigned into three experimental groups (structured input, meaningful output and traditional instruction group). To analyze the collected data of three experimental groups, ANOVA and a post hoc Scheffe was run. The results showed the superiority of structured input technique over the other two techniques. All in all, the findings of the present study confirms the use of structured input technique for the purpose of developing productive use of linguistic items. This study has implications for EFL teachers, teacher educators, and material developers.

The effects of structured input and traditional instruction on the acquisition of the English causative passive forms: An eye-tracking study measuring accuracy in responses and processing patterns

2020 ◽  
pp. 136216882092857
Author(s):  
Alessandro Benati
Keyword(s):  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Eye Movement ◽  
Traditional Instruction ◽  
Movement Patterns ◽  
Causative Factor ◽  
Tracking Task ◽  
Processing Instruction ◽  
Structured Input ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Online Measurements

The present study explores the effects of structured input and traditional instruction on the acquisition of English causative passive forms using online measurements (eye-tracking). Previous empirical research investigating the effects of processing instruction through offline measurements (sentence and discourse) has overall shown positive results for this pedagogical intervention. Research investigating the main factor responsible for the effectiveness of processing instruction has confirmed that it is the structured input component that is the causative factor for the positive effects of processing instruction. The main questions of this study are: (1) what are the effects of structured input and traditional instruction on accuracy when measured by an eye-tracking picture selection task? (2) would possible difference in accuracy between structured input and traditional instruction be accompanied by changes in eye-movement patterns? To provide answers to the two questions formulated in this study, one eye-tracking study was carried out. Fifty-two adult learners (aged 19–21 years) participated and were assigned to one of two groups: structured input ( n = 26) or traditional instruction ( n = 26). Neither instructional groups received explicit information. A pre and post-training design was adopted and the two groups received two different instructional treatments (structured input vs. traditional instruction). Participants were assessed through a picture selection eye-tracking task to measure accuracy and eye-movement patterns while they were processing auditory sentences. Results of the eye-tracking task indicated that the structured input group achieved significantly higher accuracy scores compared to the group receiving traditional instruction. The main findings from the present study reveal that structured input training causes a change in learners’ eye-movement patterns.

An eye-tracking study on the effects of structured input and traditional instruction on the acquisition of English passive forms

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Benati
Keyword(s):  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Eye Movement ◽  
Traditional Instruction ◽  
Movement Patterns ◽  
Causative Factor ◽  
Tracking Task ◽  
Processing Instruction ◽  
Structured Input ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Online Measurements

The present study explores the effects of structured input and traditional instruction on the acquisition of English passive forms using online measurements (eye-tracking). Previous empirical research investigating the effects of processing instruction through offline measurements (sentence and discourse-level) has overall shown that it is an effective pedagogical intervention. Research investigating the main factor responsible for the effectiveness of processing instruction has confirmed that it is the structured input component that is the causative factor for the positive effects of processing instruction. The two main questions of this study are: (1) What are the effects of structured input and traditional instruction on accuracy when measured by an eye-tracking picture selection task? (2) Would possible differences in accuracy between structured input and traditional instruction be accompanied by changes in eye-movement patterns? To provide answers to the questions formulated in this study, one eye-tracking study was carried out. Sixty-four school-age learners (15–16 years old) participated and were assigned to one of two groups: structured input (n = 32 or traditional instruction (n = 32). Neither instructional group received explicit information. A pre- and post-training design was adopted and the two groups received two different instructional treatments (structured input vs traditional instruction). Participants were assessed through a picture selection eye-tracking task to measure accuracy and eye-movement patterns while they were processing auditory sentences. Results of the eye-tracking task indicated that the structured input group achieved significantly higher accuracy scores compared with  the group receiving traditional instruction. The main findings from the present study reveal that structured input training might cause a change in learners’ eye-movement patterns.

The effects of motivation on processing instruction in the acquisition of Modern Standard Arabic gender agreement

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-82
Author(s):  
Ayah Farhat ◽  
Alessandro Benati
Keyword(s):  
Academic Motivation ◽  
Processing Instruction ◽  
Gender Agreement ◽  
Modern Standard Arabic ◽  
Language Background ◽  
Standard Arabic ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Sentence Level ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Modern Standard

The present study investigates the effects of motivation and processing instruction on the acquisition of Modern Standard Arabic gender agreement. The role of individual differences (e.g. age, gender, aptitude, language background and working memory) on the positive effects generated by processing instruction has been investigated in the last few years. However, no previous research has been conducted to measure the possible effects of motivation on L2 learners exposed to processing instruction. In addition, a reasonable question to be addressed within the processing instruction research framework is whether its positive effects can be generalised to the acquisition of Modern Standard Arabic. The Academic Motivation Scale (AMS) and the Attitude Motivation Test Battery (AMTB) motivation questionnaires were used to capture different variables that influence motivation in order to create the two different groups (high and low motivated). In this experimental study, forty-one native English school-age learners (aged 8–11) were assigned to two groups: ‘the high motivated group’ (n = 29): and the ‘low motivated group’ (n = 12). Both groups received processing instruction, which lasted for three hours. Sentence-level interpretation and production tasks were used in a pre-test and post-test design to measure instructional effects. The learners were required to fill in gaps in both written and spoken mode for the activities. The study also included a delayed post-test administered to the two groups four weeks later. The results indicated that both groups improved equally from pre-test to post-test in all assessment measures and they both retained the positive effects of the training in the delayed posttests. Processing instruction was proved to be the main factor for the improvement in performance regardless of the learner’s level of motivation.

The role of immersion learning in the acquisition and processing of L2 gender agreement

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabrielle Klassen ◽  
Aline Ferreira ◽  
John W. Schwieter
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Study Abroad ◽  
Morphological Variability ◽  
Selection Task ◽  
Gender Agreement ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Term Study ◽  
Reading Task ◽  
Short Term Study

Abstract In this paper, we examine the effects of learning environment on second language (L2) gender agreement. English speakers learning L2 Spanish participated in a self-paced reading task and a picture selection task prior to and after a short-term study abroad experience. The results from the self-paced reading task showed that their reliance on the masculine article as the default (e.g., McCarthy, Corrine. 2008. Morphological variability in the comprehension of agreement: An argument for representation over computation. Second Language Research 24(4). 459–486) was reduced over time abroad. Findings from the picture selection task showed that the learners did not attend to the gender of articles unless it was their only cue, but that after the study abroad experience they began to use gender as an anticipatory cue for lexical selection. We interpret these results as support for an adapted version of the Shallow Structures Hypothesis (Clahsen, Harald & Claudia Felser. 2006a. Grammatical processing in language learners. Applied Psycholinguistics 27(1). 3–42; Clahsen, Harald & Claudia Felser. 2006b. How native-like is non-native language processing? Trends in Cognitive Sciences 10(12). 564–570) and the notion that in immersion contexts L2 learners shift their parsing strategy to be more communicatively focused (Schwieter, John W. & Gabrielle Klassen. 2016. Linguistic advances and learning strategies in a short-term study abroad experience. Study Abroad Research in Second Language Acquisition and International Education 1(2). 217–247).

scholarly journals The Processing of Spanish Article–Noun Gender Agreement by Monolingual and Bilingual Toddlers

2020 ◽  
pp. 002383092097705
Author(s):  
Monika Molnar ◽  
José Alemán Bañón ◽  
Simona Mancini ◽  
Sendy Caffarra
Keyword(s):  
Noun Phrases ◽  
Grammatical Gender ◽  
Definite Article ◽  
Gender Agreement

We assessed monolingual Spanish and bilingual Spanish-Basque toddlers’ sensitivity to gender agreement in correct vs. incorrect Spanish noun phrases (definite article + noun), using a spontaneous preference listening paradigm. Monolingual Spanish-learning toddlers exhibited a tendency to listen longer to the grammatically correct phrases (e.g., la casa; “the house”), as opposed to the incorrect ones (e.g., * el casa). This listening preference toward correct phrases is in line with earlier results obtained from French monolingual 18-month-olds (van Heugten & Christophe, 2015). Bilingual toddlers in the current study, however, tended to listen longer to the incorrect phrases. Basque was not a source of interference in the bilingual toddler’s input as Basque does not instantiate grammatical gender agreement. Overall, our results suggest that both monolingual and bilingual toddlers can distinguish between the correct and incorrect phrases by 18 months of age; however, monolinguals and bilinguals allocate their attention differently when processing grammatically incorrect forms.

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