Abstract
AbstractWhilereactive focus on form(FonF) has been addressed extensively in the literature,preemptive FonFhas not attracted the attention it deserves. To fill in part of this gap in the English-language teaching (ELT) context, the present study was conducted to examine the occurrence of preemptive focus on form episodes (FFEs) in the classes of two male and two female English-language teachers. Additionally, it aimed to explore the frequency of student-initiated and teacher-initiated FFEs as well as the uptake and no uptake moves in four classes. To address these issues, all cases of preemptive FFEs were identified in 6 h of instruction obtained from videotaping of four classes. Results confirmed that preemptive FonF does occur in the process of meaning-focused communication and that they are used by male and female teachers almost equally to deal with linguistic difficulties. The findings further showed that student-initiated and teacher-initiated FFEs occurred almost equally in four classes. As to the type of moves, no uptake move was recorded to occur more frequently in male teachers’ classes and to occur more frequently in student-initiated episodes in all classes. Results can raise the awareness of ELT teachers about the benefits of employing preemptive FonF in the context of meaning-focused communications.
Highlights
Discussions of language pedagogy have recognized distinctions between meaning-focused and formfocused instruction (FFI; Ellis et al 2001b)
It is to be noted that, as stated in the introduction, this study addressed the realization of preemptive focus on form episodes (FFEs) in classes of different gender teachers, the occurrence of student-initiated versus teacher-initiated FFEs, the rate of the uptake versus no uptake moves and the aspects of the language FFEs addressed in the four classes
It can be inferred that the number of FFEs in the present study is lower compared with the reported studies, the high occurrence of focus on form (FonF) instances in the present study per se can be an indication of the primacy of attention to form in the context of meaning-oriented activities for adult lower intermediate learners
Summary
Discussions of language pedagogy have recognized distinctions between meaning-focused and formfocused instruction (FFI; Ellis et al 2001b). As Howatt (1984), Skehan (1996) and Willis (1996) maintained, the strong version of communicative language teaching (CLT) favors a meaning-focused instruction which highlights the primacy of communication for acquiring linguistic knowledge. As they maintain, this type of instruction is reluctant to attribute any benefits to the direct instruction of linguistic forms. In contrast to the FonFs instruction which involves teaching isolated linguistic forms in lessons of a structural syllabus, FonF instruction “draws students’ attention to linguistic elements as they arise incidentally in lessons whose overriding focus is on meaning or communication” Other scholars (e.g., Spada 1997, Ellis et al 2001b, Ellis 2016) have classified
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