Grammar and hypertext: building blocks of adult second language grammar mediation through a hypertext package (The A to Z of Grammar) in relation to current theories of adult second language acquisition/learning and the structural features of hypertext systems

Abstract

This article argues that grammar has a role to play in adult second language (L2) learning and puts forward the hypothesis that the didactic spiral of language teaching can be most easily imitated by hypertext systems whose organisational structure is similar to that of language systems in its multi-layered form. It looks at the structural properties of hypertext and the organisation of information within hypertext systems which make hypertext packages not only suitable as independent learning tools but also particularly pertinent to the mediation of L2. Using a hypertext grammar package developed at the University of North London, we demonstrate how the structural properties of hypertext systems have been used for the mediation of the systematic aspects of language and how the design adapts to pedagogic requirements. This is related to a review of theoretical positions on L2 acquisition/learning with particular emphasis on the issues relevant to adult L2 learners. The article identifies the role of formal instruction in the various theories on L2 learning, in which way this affects the mediation of grammar and shows how this package fits into the various stages of L2 learning/acquisition, supporting the needs of different models of L2 development.