Training 8-Year-Old French Immersion Students in Metalinguistic Analysis: An Innovation in Form-focused Pedagogy

Role of focus-on-form instruction, corrective feedback and uptake in second language classrooms: some insights from recent second language acquisition research

“…More recently, Bouffard and Sarkar (2008) investigated the effects of focus on form on 8-year old learnersÕ language awareness and learning. Specifically, they found that learning metalinguistic terminology and working in groups to focus on form, helped the young learners notice and analyse their own errors and improved their ability to repair them.…”

“…Finally, Hanaoka (2007), examining the relationship between learnersÕ output, noticing and learning, found that (a) participants noticed overwhelmingly lexical features as they autonomously identified their respective problems, found solutions by looking at language models, and incorporated them in subsequent revisions; (b) more proficient learners noticed significantly more features than less proficient learners when they compared their original output with two language models; and (c), most importantly, among the features of the language models that the participants noticed, those that were related to the problems that they had noticed through output were incorporated at a higher rate and were also retained longer than unrelated features. The above research on learner-driven independent focus on form was undertaken with older language learners; however, Bouffard and Sarkar (2008) have argued that children as young as 8 may be mature enough to attend to form if they are taught how to. Basturkmen et al (2004) conducted a case study which examined teachersÕ stated beliefs about communicative language teaching and the role of incidental focus on form, comparing their stated beliefs with their focus on form practices in the performance of a communicative task.…”

“…Table 1 below summarises key findings from the research reviewed above on focus on form. Lightbown and Spada (1990), Doughty and Varela (1998), Harley (1998), Muranoi (2000), Ellis (2002), Mennim (2003), Lyster (2004), Loewen (2005), Bouffard and Sarkar (2008) Use of focuson-form instruction in CLT classrooms Focus on form may occur without interfering with the communicative flow of the lessons Seedhouse (1997), Doughty and Varela (1998), Ellis et al (2001aEllis et al ( 2001b Effectiveness of focus-onform instruction depending on type Using both explicit and implicit focus-on-form strategies can promote language learning Spada (1997) Using implicit eliciting focus on form can promote language learning Lyster (2004) and Loewen (2004) Using explicit focus-on-form strategies can promote language learning Ellis (2002) and Fuente (2006) Research on learners Learners believe that they can attend to form and meaning at the same time Doughty and Varela (1998) Learner-driven independent focus on form (learner noticing) seems to have positive impact on their L2 proficiency Mackey (2006), Mennim, (2007, Hanaoka (2007) When learners initiate focus on form they seem to address lexical aspects in particular Williams (1999), Ellis et al (2001a) More proficient learners are likely to pay more attention to form than less proficient learners Williams (1999) Research on teachers Discrepancies in teacher beliefs and practice in relation to their use of focus on form in communicatively oriented classrooms Basturkmen et al (2004) TeachersÕ experience seems to play a role in teachersÕ use of focus on form Mackey, et al (2004) Corrective feedback Iwashita (2003: 2) defines corrective feedback as Ôsome kind of native speaker response to what the learner has saidÕ; it may in fact be better understood as some kind of response from a more expert language user, often a teac...…”

Pedagogical and political encounters in linguistically and culturally diverse primary classrooms: examples from Quebec, Canada, and Gauteng, South Africa

“…On the one hand, teachers might foster a climate of acceptance of 'difference', one that respects and acknowledges the language and culture that learners bring to the classroom. The construction of this kind of classroom atmosphere would be in line with recommendations from studies that use a socio-cultural/linguistic lens to outline teaching approaches that are suitable for diverse groups of learners --children who are recent immigrants or refugees, children from non-literate homes, children who have little or no contact with the language of instruction in the home community (Benson, 2004;Bouffard and Sarkar, 2008;Bunyi, 1999;Cummins, 2003;Cummins and Hornberger, 2007;Fortune and Tedick, 2008;Genesee, 1993Genesee, , 2008Stroud, 2002).…”

Research perspectives on immersion pedagogy

“…In a study with Grade 3 French immersion students, Bouffard and Sarkar (2008) video recorded students engaging in a range of oral activities then edited the video recordings to isolate error-feedback-repair patterns. Using those video clips, the researchers guided the children to notice and repair their errors while encouraging them at the same time to use their L2 grammatical knowledge to pinpoint the nature of the errors.…”