Effect of the Neurolinguistic Approach on EFL Learners’ Implicit and Explicit Grammar Knowledge: The Present Perfect Tense in Focus

Abstract

The neurolinguistic approach (NLA) is an intensive sentence-based pedagogy designed specifically for low-proficiency learners. It places a premium on orality and the development of both internal and external grammars through a project-based literacy loop. The present study employed a pretest–posttest control group design to investigate the effect of NLA on conveniently sampled pre-intermediate EFL learners’ implicit and explicit knowledge of the English present perfect tense. Treatment for the experimental group (EG; N = 25) spanned three 1.5-h project-based sessions, with orality marking the beginning and end of each session and reading, rule induction, and writing as intermediary phases. The control group (CG; N = 24), on the other hand, was exposed to tense-rich reading input, followed by rule explanation and follow-up communicative tasks. Implicit knowledge was measured through a timed grammaticality judgment test and an interview, and explicit knowledge was measured through an untimed grammaticality judgment test and a metalinguistic knowledge test. ANOVA results showed CG’s and EG’s comparable significant gains on explicit knowledge measures and only EG’s significant gain on implicit knowledge measures. The findings substantiate NLA’s potential for the development of both internal and external grammars and have implications for grammar instruction.