Implicit-and-explicit-language-instruction

ImplicitandExplicitlanguageInstructionInstructionisinterventionAlllanguageinstructionisanattempttointerveneintheprocessoflanguagelearning.Therearetwobasictypesofintervention:1.DirectIntervention2.IndirectinterventionDirectinterventionDirectinterventioninvolvesprovidinglearnerswithexplicitinformationaboutthetargetoftheinstructionusuallytogetherwithopportunitiestopractisethetarget.Itinvolves:•explicitinstruction•intentionallanguagelearningonthepartofthelearner.Long–‘focusonforms’IndirectinterventionIndirectinterventioninvolvessettingupopportunitiesforlearnerstolearnwithoutspecifyingwhatthetargetoftheinstruction.Maincharacteristics:•implicitteaching•opportunitiestoengageinusinglanguage•caterstoincidentallanguagelearningonthepartofthelearner.Long–‘focusonform’HousenandPierrard(2006Directintervention(explicitinstruction)Indirectintervention(implicitinstruction)•directsattentiontotargetform•ispredeterminedandplanned(e.g.asthemainfocusandgoalofateachingactivity•isobtrusive(interruptionofcommunicativemeaning)*presentstargetformsinisolation•usesmetalinguisticterminology(e.g.ruleexplanation)•typicallyalsoinvolvescontrolledpracticeofthetargetform•attractsattentiontotargetform•isdeliveredspontaneously(e.g.inanotherwisecommunication-orientedactivity)•isunobtrusive(minimalinterruptionofcommunicationofmeaning)•presentstargetformsincontext•makesnouseofmetalanguage•encouragesfreeuseofthetargetformInterfacepositions1.Stronginterfaceposition:explicitknowledgeistransformedintoimplicitknowledgethroughpractice.2.Weakinterfaceposition:explicitknowledgeisnotdirectlytransformedintoimplicitknowledgebutfacilitatestheprocessesresponsibleforitsdevelopment.3.Non-interfaceposition:explicitandimplicitknowledgearedisassociatedanddifferentprocessesareinvolvedintheirdevelopment.(1)And(2)lendsupporttoexplicitinstructionbutindifferentways.(3)lendssupporttoimplicitinstruction.Deductiveandinductiveinstruction1.Deductiveexplicitinstruction:learnersareprovidedwithmetalinguisticinformationaboutthetargetoftheinstruction.2.Inductiveexplicitinstruction:nometalinguisticinformationisprovidedandlearnersinduceexplicitknowledgefromexamplesprovided.DifferentkindsofexplicitinstructionTypesInstructionalapproachesInterfacepositionTheoreticalbasisDeductivePedagogicgrammarandproductionpractice(asinpresentation-practice-productioni.e.PPP)StrongSkill-learningtheory(DeKeyser,1998).DeductiveIntegratedinstruction(i.e.explicitexplanationprovidedduringcommunicativepractice).StrongTransferAppropriateProcessing(Lightbown,2008).DeductiveConcept-basedinstruction(involvingpresentationof‘scientificconcepts’andproductionpracticeStrongSocioculturaltheory(LantolfandThorne,2006DeductiveComprehension-basedinstruction(asinProcessingInstruction)StrongInputProcessingTheory(VanPatten,1996)InductivePatternpractice(asintheAudiolingualMethod)StrongBehaviourism(habit-formation)InductiveConsciousness-raisingtasksWeakTheoryofInstructedLanguageLearning(Ellis,1994)Presentation-Practice-Productioninstruction(PPP)•Dominantapproachinlanguageteachingmaterials•Structuralsyllabus•Skill-learningtheory-declarativeknowledge(i.e.explicitknowledgeofspecificlinguisticforms)isproceduralizedthroughpracticeuntileventuallyitbecomesautomatic.•Importanceoffinal‘P’(i.e.incommunicativegrammartasks)toprovide‘realoperatingconditions’•StronginterfacepositionDoesPPPwork?ThetestofPPPiswhetheritresultsinthelearners’abilitytocommunicatefreelyusingthelanguagefeaturetargetedbytheinstruction.Thatis,itisnecessarytoshowthattheinstructionresultsnotjustinimprovedaccuracyincontrolledproduction(e.g.indiscretepointstests)butalsoinfreeproduction(i.e.intasksthatelicitspontaneouscommunication).Harley(1989)319Grade6studentsinaFrenchimmersionprograminCanadaExplicitinstructionincludingcommunicativepracticeactivities;instructionlastedseveralweeksTwoFrenchverbtenses(passécomposeandimparfait)VariousmeasuresoflearningincludingfreeoralproductionExperimentalgroupoutperformedcontrolgrouponallmeasuresLimitationsButtheendresultmaynotbe‘true’implicitknowledgebutratherspeeded-updeclarativeknowledge.Automatizeddeclarativeknowledgeisnotequivalenttoimplicitknowledge.Integratedexplicitinstruction•Integratedexplicitinstructionembedsexplicitexplanationwithincommunicativepracticeactivities.•TransferAppropriateProcessingHypothesis-‘wecanbetterrememberwhatwehavelearnedifthecognitiveprocessesthatareactiveduringlearningaresimilartothosethatareactiveduringretrieval’(Lightbown,2008:27).•Thereforeexplicitinformationwillbemoreeffectiveifitisprovidedwhilelearnersarecommunicating.Spadaetal(2014)Targetstructure–EnglishpassiveIsolatedinstruction-targetstructurewasfirstexplainedfollowedbycommunicative/content-basedactivitiesIntegratedinstruction-quickexplanationsprovidedduringcommunicativepracticeAssessment-writtenerror-correctiontestandapicture-cuedoralproductiontask.BothtypesofinstructioneffectiveTheisolatedinstructionledtohigherscoresforpassiveontheerror-correctiontestwhiletheintegratedinstructiongroupdidbetterontheoralproductiontask.Concept-basedins