Salience in the noticing and production of L2 arabic forms

Abstract

This study investigated the effect that the salience of an L2 form has on learner noticing and production of the form. The study also explored the effects that task type (output vs. input) has on form noticing and production. The study targeted three Arabic forms: a low salient form (the future tense) and two salient ones (time telling and time connectors). Eighty beginning‐level learners of Arabic were assigned to two treatment conditions: output and input. The output group described a picture story; listened to, read, and underlined an Arabic speaker's description of the story; and redid the picture description. The input group answered pre‐text exposure questions; listened to, read, and underlined the same model description; and answered posttext exposure questions. There was an immediate posttest, and a delayed posttest and interviews two weeks later. The findings suggest that the salience of the target forms affected form noticing and production, but task type only had a mediating effect on production; output did not promote learner noticing of L2 forms better than input, but it did lead to partial gains in form production.