The effects of input-enhanced and output-enhanced grammar instruction on the learning of English verb tenses and relative clauses

The effects of input-enhanced and output-enhanced grammar instruction on the learning of English verb tenses and relative clauses

The present study investigated whether different types of form-focused instruction, input-enhanced or output-enhanced, might be effective in improving low-proficiency learners' English knowledge about specific linguistic forms. The participants were 111 first-year Korean university students enrolled in an English conversation course. They were assigned to three groups; 35 students in the input-enhanced group (TIE), 33 in the output-enhanced group (DICT), and 45 in the control group (CG). English verb tenses and relative clauses were selected as the target structures. Pre- and post-tests were conducted to measure the effectiveness of different types of form-focused instruction on the acquisition of the target forms. Pre- and post-questionnaires were administered to examine the extent of the students' perceptions and attitudes towards the English instruction that they received. The study discovered that both input-enhanced and output-enhanced instruction were more effective than traditional grammar instruction in developing grammatical knowledge about verb tenses, while output-enhanced instruction was more effective than input-enhanced and traditional grammar instruction with respect to the learning of relative clauses. The results of the questionnaires indicated that learners who performed the TIE task and the dictogloss task showed positive changes in their perceptions about the English instruction that they received; only those in the dictogloss task showed positive changes in their attitudes towards the instruction. Based on the results, the limitations of the study and the pedagogical implications are provided.