The Effect of grammar consciouseness-raising on facilitating the acquisition of adjective order
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Date
2009
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Oum-El-Bouaghi university
Abstract
The results obtained from this study provide evidence in support of the effectiveness of grammar consciousness-raising tasks on facilitating the acquisition of grammatical structures. It has been found that such grammar tasks contribute to language acquisition in two ways. They contribute directly by providing opportunities for the kind of communication which is believed to promote the acquisition of implicit knowledge, and contribute also indirectly to enabling learners to develop explicit grammatical knowledge of language rules which will later facilitate the acquisition of implicit knowledge.
Therefore, GCR tasks are based on the claim that learners benefit from explicit knowledge of grammatical features. It has a role to play not only in language use (monitoring) but also in facilitating the process of noticing and noticing the gap, within a computational model of L2 acquisition are viewed as necessary steps in the development of implicit L2 knowledge. Moreover, they can also assist acquisition by promoting the depth of processing which promotes acquisition. Requiring learners to think and talk about grammar potentially involves greater intellectual effort than simply listening to a teacher's explanation, if this takes place in the TL will foster both the process of acquiring new knowledge and that of analysing and restructing existing knowledge.
Grammar tasks which emphasize consciousness-raising appear to be an effective type of classroom activity, and their use is supported by what is currently known about how a second language is acquired. Furthermore, such tasks provide serious content, in contrast to the trivial content of information-gap activities, and they accommodate learners who believe that it is important to learn about grammar. They provide opportunities to communicate in the language in groups or in pairs, and they encourage an active discovery-oriented approach on the part of learners, which accords with current views about good educational practice.
Another benefit of the C-R approach to grammar teaching is that given sufficient exposure and opportunity, learners will discover elements of grammar and reach conclusions which make sense in terms of their own systems. This involves reconciling their new findings of the use and usage of a particular feature, and examples of its use by native speakers.
GCR tasks advantages, is that in the longer term, they nurture language awareness, sensitizing learners to the structures of the target language in a way that passively receiving information about language rules does not. Applying this approach trains learners to techniques which they can then use to study independently. In the affective sphere, self-discovery nurtures curiosity and builds confidence.
Nevertheless, since inferring is an essential mental process in language learning, refining or rejecting learners' working hypotheses about the target language is essential if we want to avoid fossilization. Feedback will help learners to integrate the new language into their interlanguage system since it makes them notice the difference between their productions and the target system. Thus, after the production attempt, the teacher gives the learners feedback in the form of explicit statement of the rule which is to be formulated and written on the board with examples illustrating its use. However, before these key explanations are provided to students, they are advised to reflect on their answers and correct their errors. It is by reflecting about their productions first, and later about their errors that the feedback is more effective.
The limitations of the present study such as the relatively small number of subjects, the limited range of structures involved, and the short period of treatment must be acknowledged. Future experimental studies correcting for these limitations will help define with firmness the relative effects of GCR tasks on grammar acquisition. Additionally, the use of GCR tasks remains an intriguing proposal in need of further study. Future research will need to address a number of issues. These include: a) developing different formats of GCR tasks; b) examining the effects of these different formats on gains in acquisition; c) investigating the effects of teacher feedback; and d) investigating the role of learners in task performance. We still also need information across a wider range of ages, levels of proficiency, backgrounds, and learning styles.
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Langue (anglais) : grammaire