Meaning-focused vs Form-focused L2 Instruction: Implications for Writing Educational Materials for

Abstract

60converse with their peers, teachers and community members in their first language (L1), exposure to English is significantly limited. As stated by the Human Sciences Research Council (2002):Clearly the language issue contributes to the poor subject knowledge of both teacher and pupil in South Africa, and if there is to be a commitment to improving the levels of pupils' performance … then solving the language issue is a critical part of the solution.As Ellis (1994:243) states, all researchers recognise the need for input in L2 acquisition, although they may differ on the role that it plays. It is reasonable to assume, therefore, that the input that South African learners are receiving in the form of their L2 instruction, is in some significant way deficient. The purpose of this paper is to identify the source of the deficiency of the input, as it appears in educational texts specifically, and to put forward suggestions as to how this deficiency can be addressed. We report on a study undertaken by us to determine how educational texts written for the South African English-as-an-additional language (EAL) syllabus (which adopt a focus-on-meaning approach to English language instruction) compare with educational texts written for the Kenyan EAL syllabus (which favour a focus-on-form instructional approach), in terms of their effectiveness in enabling South African primary school learners to acquire interrogative constructions.As a point of departure, we will first describe three different viewpoints concerning the role of instruction in L2 acquisition. We will then describe the three different types of instruction used in L2 classrooms, namely focus-on-meaning, focus-on-form and focus-on-formS instruction. A brief discussion of cumulative findings based on recent L2 type-of-instruction research will serve to contextualise our study which we discuss in this paper. The second half of the paper will proceed in the form of a report on the study itself, including the rationale behind it, an exposition of the participants and procedure, and a presentation and discussion of the results. In the conclusion we will suggest ways in which the instructional approach adopted by South African educational texts can be enhanced, so as to enable learners to acquire English more effectively.Meaning-focused vs Form-focused L2 Instruction 61 Theoretical approaches to different types of instructionIn L2 acquisition research that examines the effects of form-focused instruction (FFI), three different positions may be identified, as summarised in Norris and Ortega (2001:159-160). These are the noninterface, strong interface and weak interface positions. The noninterface positionThe noninterface position, adopted by researchers such as Krashen (1985) and Schwartz (1993), holds that the only kind of information that is usable for L2 language acquisition is naturally occurring instances of the language, otherwise referred to as "positive evidence", or, as Krashen (1985) terms it, "comprehensible input". This position holds that teaching gram...

The Effects of Pre- versus Post-Presentation Input Flooding via Reading on the Young Iranian EFL Learners’ Acquisition of Simple Past Tense

“…Ellis (2001) characterizes Form Focused Instruction (FFI) as "any planned or incidental instructional activity that is intended to induce language learners to pay attention to linguistic form" (p. 2). According to Ollerhead and Oosthuizen (2005), FFI is utilized as a general term for distinctive ideas, for example, 'logical instructing', 'Focus on Form (FonF)', Focus on FormS (FonFS)', 'remedial input/ slip revision' and 'transaction of structure'. FonF is referred to as a methodology to L2 showing where thoughtfulness regarding structure emerges from exercises that are essentially significantly concentrated (Long & Robinson, 1998).…”

Little Learning; Less Grammar: Observations on Curriculum for English as a First Additional Language

“…In South Africa, however, with the noticeable exception of the article by Ollerhead and Oosthuizen (2005), there has been little interest. It might be that we ought to be researching the form-focused approach to L2 learning with an eye to introducing it for our young adult learners in Grades 10-12.…”

Integration of Content Instruction and Language Instruction in the Movie English Classroom: On the Basis of Embodiment, Image Schemas, and Metaphors

“…Instructed SLA is divided into language focused instruction and content focused instruction. Specifically speaking, focus-on-form (FonF) instruction, focus-on-forms instruction, and focus-on-meaning instruction are three different types of instruction in L2 classrooms (Long, 1991;Ollerhead & Oosthuizen, 2005). Among them, focus on forms instruction is exclusively language-based, and focus on meaning is exclusively meaning-based.…”