Differential Potential of SLA Output Tasks versus Input-based Teaching of English Grammar: A Comparative Study

Abstract

The present study is an attempt to investigate a) the effect of output requirement on the acquisition of grammar and b) the differential functions of two output tasks (picture-cued production and editing reconstruction tasks) on the interlanguage improvement of participants. To this end, twenty four Iranian elementary EFL learners were assigned to two experimental groups (EG1 & EG2) and a control group (CG). A pre-test was administered to the three groups to measure their knowledge of the target grammar structure (present perfect tense) prior to any treatment. The participants in EG1 were required to produce their language based on a set of pictures presented, while the learners in EG2 were asked to edit a given text based on its grammatical appropriacy. Those in CG were exposed to the target grammar item merely by providing input. The effectiveness of the treatment tasks was measured using a post-test. The results revealed that those participants in the CG who were provided with input outperformed their peers in the EGs. Also there was no statistically significant difference found between the two output tasks.