The Role of Input in Second Language Acquisition

2000 ◽  
Vol 129-130 ◽  
pp. 225-274
Author(s):  
Ali Işik
Keyword(s):  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Placement Test ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Reading And Writing ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
And Control ◽  
Grammatical Structures

The present study investigates the combined effects of different amounts of comprehension-based and form-focused instruction on skill-based proficiency and knowledge of grammatical structures of beginner-level efl students. Specifically, the study addresses the following research questions : 1) Does a basically comprehension-based program of instruction supported by form-focused instruction help beginner-level efl learners improve/develop their listening, reading and writing abilities more than a basically form- focused program of instruction? 2) Does a basically form-focused program of instruction help beginner-level efl learners improve their knowledge of grammatical structures more than a basically comprehension-based program of instruction? One experimental and one control group, each containing 20 lycee prep level Turkish efl students, participated in the study. The subjects in the experimental and control groups were randomly selected from among lycee prep classes in two different schools. The experimental group enrolled in a program of comprehension-based instruction supported by form- focused instruction; whereas, the control group enrolled in a basically form-focused program of instruction. Both the experimental and control groups had 29 hours of efl instruction per week for 36 weeks. Different instruments were used to see the effects of these two different types of instruction on their reading, listening, writing skills and knowledge of grammatical structures. At the end of the fourth month, both groups were given the listening, reading and writing components of the Key English Test (ket) and the grammar component of the Oxford Placement Test. At the end of the eighth month, they were given the Preliminary English Test (pet) and another version of the grammar component of the Oxford Placement Test. The results indicated that the program of comprehension-based efl instruction supported by form-focused instruction was more effective than a basically form-focused program of instruction in helping beginner-level students develop their listening, reading, and writing skills as well as their knowledge of grammatical structures.

scholarly journals The Effect of Using SMS as a Post Task Activity on Iranian EFL Learners’ Grammar Knowledge

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 392
Author(s):  
Mohamad Reza Farangi ◽  
Jamileh Kamyab ◽  
Majid Izanlu ◽  
Nazanin Ghodrat
Keyword(s):  
Placement Test ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Effective Learning ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Grammar Knowledge ◽  
And Control

The current study aimed at investigating the effect of using SMS on Iranian upper-intermediate EFL learners’ grammar learning. Moreover, the effect of using SMS on the Iranian EFL students’ autonomy and their perception of it as an educational tool was investigated. The participants of the present study consisted of 60 upper-intermediate Iranian EFL learners. Different instrumentations including the Oxford Placement Test (OPT), grammar test, and Autonomy Questionnaire were used in this study. Through adopting a quasi-experimental design with a pretest- treatment-posttest sequence, participants were divided into Experimental and Control group. The data was analyzed and inferentially compared using independent sample and paired sample t-test. The results indicated that there was a statistically significant difference between the pretest and posttest means of experimental and control group regarding their performance in grammar test. The results showed that experimental group learners outperformed the learners in control group. Therefore, using SMS had a significant effect on Iranian EFL learners’ effective learning of grammatical structures; in addition, it helped students to increase their autonomy towards learning. As an implication of this study, it is proposed that SMS usage can be incorporated into language classroom effectively to enhance learners’ learning of different language skills.

scholarly journals Effects of Using Instagram on Iranian Intermediate Autonomous/Dependent EFL Learners’ Learning of Pictorial Metaphors

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
pp. 11-25
Author(s):  
Zahra Ahmadi ◽  
Omid Tabatabaei
Keyword(s):  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Placement Test ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Repeated Measures Anova ◽  
Metaphorical Expression ◽  
The One ◽  
And Control ◽  
Experimental Group

This study was an attempt to investigate whether using Instagram had any significant effects on Iranian intermediate autonomous/dependent EFL learners’ pictorial metaphors or not. In doing so, Oxford Placement Test was administered among100 EFL learners studying at Rooyesh language institute in Kelishad, Isfahan, Iran; and based on the results, 80 EFL learners were selected. Then, the autonomy test was conducted to divide them into autonomous and dependent groups. In the next step, they were divided into two equal experimental and control groups (N=40) that each group was subdivided to an autonomous and a dependent group (i.e., 20 autonomous and 20 dependent participants in each CG and EG). Their age ranged between 14 and 18 years old. Gender of participants was not considered as a variable in the study. Next, a metaphorical expression pretest was administered to all groups of the study and then the experimental group was given the metaphorical expressions via Instagram application, whereas the control group only followed conventional treatment. At the end, the posttest of L2 metaphorical expression was administered to both groups of the study and finally the data were analyzed. Analyzing the data through the one-way repeated measures ANOVA and ANCOVA revealed that utilizing Instagram application had a positively significant effect on autonomous/dependent Iranian intermediate EFL learners’ pictorial metaphors learning. Furthermore, both autonomous and dependent students had a positive attitude toward using Instagram Application.

scholarly journals A Comparison of Efficiency in Teacher Correction Strategies in Iranian EFL Learners’ Speaking Improvement

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 183
Author(s):  
Roya Keshavarz ◽  
Amin Marzban
Keyword(s):  
Corrective Feedback ◽  
Placement Test ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Teaching Methodology ◽  
Moderator Variable ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Feedback Type ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
And Control

<p>The present study was an attempt to investigate the effect two types of corrective feedback (i.e., recast and metalinguistic) in order to find out which one is more effective on EFL learners’ speaking improvement and also to see if gender could play a role in the relative impact of the two types of corrective feedback on learners’ speaking ability. To this end, 65 EFL learners of intermediate level in one of language institutes in Shiraz, Iran were selected and divided into three groups including two experimental groups and one control. The instruments used to collect the data included IELTS test as the pre and post tests and Oxford Placement Test (OPT) in order to obtain the homogeneity in participants’ English proficiency. The collected data were codified and entered into SPSS Software (Version 22) and were analysed using descriptive statistics, t-test, and Tukey test. The results indicated that although applying these two types of corrective feedback could have made improvement in EFL learners’ speaking ability, there was not observed any significant difference between impacts of recast and metalinguistic on EFL learners’ production. The test results also indicated that there was not any significant difference regarding gender within the three groups. This homogeneity further shows that in this study, the gender variable did not have any effect on the role of corrective feedback and it can be concluded that the observed difference between metalinguistic group, recast group, and control group is just the result of the provided corrective feedback type which has acted as the intervening variable and the moderator variable such as gender did not prove to have any effect in the outcome of this study. The findings can contribute to syllabus design and teaching methodology areas.</p>

scholarly journals The effect of peripheral learning on elementary EFL learners’ grammar improvement: The case of prepositions of time and place

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 91-100
Author(s):  
Islam Namazian Doost ◽  
Soheila Tahmasbi
Keyword(s):  
T Test ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Teaching Environment ◽  
Learning Abilities ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Elementary Classes ◽  
And Control ◽  
Experimental Group

This study aims to investigate the possible effects of peripheral learning on elementary EFL learners’ grammar improvement: the case of prepositions of time and place. Two elementary classes were selected as experimental and control groups. Before beginning the treatment, a grammar test was administered to both the groups as a pre-test. Then, as treatment, the experimental group was exposed to realia, pictures, posters and texts, while the control group was not. After term-long treatment of 10 weeks, the two groups received the same grammar test as post-test. The results of t-test showed that the experimental group improved their grammar ability, i.e., knowledge of prepositions of time and place more than their friends in the control group. The finding of the study may open an optional path for teachers to include some peripheral materials in their teaching environment to further invest on unconscious learning abilities of the students.   Keywords: Peripheral learning, reposition of time, prepositions of place, grammar.

scholarly journals Scrambled Cloze Procedure: Does It Influence EFL Learners’ Reading Comprehension and Writing Performance?

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 815
Author(s):  
Jahanbakhsh Nikoopour ◽  
Mino Bargnil
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Writing Performance ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Reading And Writing ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Cloze Procedure ◽  
And Control ◽  
Experimental Group

The present study investigated the effect of using scrambled cloze procedure on reading and writing among intermediate EFL learners. To fulfill the purpose of the study, 60 participants were tested on a PET test, from whom 48 homogeneous participants were selected and assigned randomly to two groups of 25 and 23, as experimental and control group. Then, both groups were given a pre-test of writing and reading comprehension. During 14 sessions, the experimental group were provided with scrambled cloze samples and tasks while practicing paragraph writing and reading, whereas the control group did not, while they were practicing paragraph writing and reading. At the end, the two groups were tested in reading comprehension and writing, based on a posttest. Two raters scored the writing samples collected from two groups in the pre and posttest. Pearson correlation was used to compute the inter-rater reliability. The results showed the experimental group outperformed the control group in paragraph writing and reading comprehension. However, it was found that gender did not make a significant difference in reading comprehension and writing performance.

scholarly journals Effect of Elaborative Text Modification on Pre-intermediate Male and Female EFL Learners’ Reading Comprehension

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 337
Author(s):  
Shahram Esfandiari Asl ◽  
Asgar Mahmoudi
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Placement Test ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Comprehension Ability ◽  
Experimental Group ◽  
Reading Comprehension Ability

The current study was carried out to investigate whether elaborative text modification improves reading comprehension ability of pre-intermediate male and female EFL learners. To do this, 60 pre-intermediate learners were chosen based on their performance on a standard version of Longman's New Opportunities Placement Test. The participants also received a piloted version of a researcher-made reading comprehension test as the pretest to ascertain their homogeneity. The participants were then divided into two equal groups to represent the experimental and the control groups. Each group was further subdivided into male and female groups. Five reading passages in two formats (unmodified and elaborated) were administered to the participants in five weeks which was followed by a posttest. The experimental group received the elaborated texts, while the control group received the unmodified baseline texts. The results of a Two-way ANOVA indicated no significant effect for gender but there was a significant difference between the experimental and the control groups' reading comprehension. Findings of the study suggest that elaborative text modification can be a worthy option in EFL reading classes.

scholarly journals The Motivational Impact of Enhancing Reading Comprehension through Pictorial Fictions on the Involvement of Iranian EFL Students in Writing Activities

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 82-87
Author(s):  
Fereydoon Rasouli ◽  
Omid Ahmadi
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Indirect Feedback ◽  
Two Stages ◽  
And Control ◽  
Experimental Group

Determining the motivational impact of enhancing reading comprehension, through pictorial fictions, on the EFL students to involve them more in writing activities, is the prime purpose of the present study. The study took place in the Iranian Language Institute (ILI), the branch of Mahabad. Key English Test (KET) administrated to a hundred students to select the subjects of the present study. Finally, 60 male students were selected and randomly divided into the experimental and control groups. The experimental group received pictorial fictions as treatment, utilizing input reading comprehension enhancement through typographic elements, and direct and indirect feedback provided to them, while the control group received pictorial fiction texts without such inputs, then to collect the intended data, the "Academic Writing Motivation Questionnaire" (AWMQ) was administered to both groups separately in two stages of pre-tests and post-tests. The results showed that enhancing reading comprehension has a significant motivational impact on the writing engagement of Iranian EFL learners.

scholarly journals The Effect of Reading Short Stories on Learning English Collocation among Pre-Intermediate EFL Learners

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lida Mohammadnejad
Keyword(s):  
Short Stories ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Placement Test ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Spss Software ◽  
And Control ◽  
Experimental Group ◽  
Learning English

One of the most problematic areas for foreign language learning is collocation. Iranian EFL learners mostly complain about being unable to talk voluntarily in class since they are not able to produce collocations and new vocabularies because they have of feeling anxious. This study aimed at investigating the effect of reading short stories on learning English collocations among pre-intermediate EFL Learners. The study had an experimental design and the sample of the study consisted of 54 students chosen from the results of a placement test to determine the pre-intermediate level students in Simin Language Institute in Sari. They were placed into 2 groups of experimental and control. Data of the study were collected through a collocation test used as pretest and posttest. The teacher assessed the effect of reading short stories on learning English collocations among pre intermediate EFL learners. The collected data were analyzed through statistical methods by SPSS software version 21. Results showed that the experimental group outperformed the control group on the measure. This indicated that reading short stories had a statistical significant effect on EFL learners’ collocation learning. Results had implications for teachers, learners and material developers. 

The Effect of Teaching Paragraph Writing in L1 on Iranian Adult EFL Learners’ Writing Ability

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 214
Author(s):  
Mohammad Daneshvari ◽  
Mohammad Davoudi
Keyword(s):  
First Language ◽  
Text Structure ◽  
T Test ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Writing Ability ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Structure Knowledge ◽  
And Control

Despite the importance of writing in ESL/EFL contexts, too many youngsters do not learn to write well enough to meet the demands of school or the workplace. The present study strives to probe into the effect of teaching paragraph writing styles in the first language on the wiring proficiency of Iranian EFL learners. To conduct the study, a quasi-experimental design was used. The participants of this study were 40 male and female language learners learning English as the foreign language at the Oxford language institute in Bojnourd in the Northern Khorasan province of Iran who were divided into experimental and control groups. There was no treatment for the control group, but the experimental group received the treatment in which four types of paragraphs-descriptive, explanatory, contrastive, comparative- were taught in participants' first language (Farsi). After the treatment, a simplified English proficiency test focusing mainly on English writing skill was used to assess the effectiveness of the treatment. Independent t-test results showed a significant difference between the mean scores of the experimental and control groups on the posttest of writing ability. As for the gender differences, the results of the independent sample t-test revealed that there is a statistical significant difference between writing proficiency of Iranian males and females EFL learners in terms of making use of first language text structure knowledge. The implications of the study are discussed.

scholarly journals A Shift from a Monoglossic to a Heteroglossic View: Metalinguistic Stego- Translanguaging Lens Approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 461-473
Author(s):  
Mohammad Awad Al-Dawoody Abdulaal
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Reading And Writing ◽  
Port Said ◽  
Experimental Group

This research study aims at replacing monoglossic approaches with a stego-translanguaging pedagogy (i.e., the indirect use of the mother tongue to enhance the target language perception and acquisition). To solve the problematic constant decline in the learners’ reading and writing IELTS scores in Port Said Language Center and to check the influence of the stego-translanguaging approach, two groups of participants were randomly chosen, an experimental group with 33 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners from different colleges in Port Said University in Egypt and a control group with 30 EFL learners. The participants in the experimental group followed a heteroglossic pedagogy, whereas the control group followed a strictly non-plurilingual monolingual approach. The results of Kruskal-Wallis test showed that the stego-translanguaging approach was much more influential in teaching IELTS reading than the monoglossic conventional approach with 1.483 as a mean difference between the two groups as (µ1=7) in the experimental group and (µ2= 5.517) in the control group. Another crucial result was displayed by a parametric test conducted to examine the significant differences between the IELTS writing posttest scores in the experimental and the control groups. The test showed that µ1 > µ2 with an estimation difference of 1.535, where µ1= 6.818 and µ2 = 5.28

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document