Effects Of Formal Instruction Research Articles

The Effects of Formal Instruction on the Acquisition of English Long Vowels

Indonesian and English vowels reveal different phonetic classification and symbols in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). English has five long vowels: i:, ɜ:, ɑ:, ɔ:, and u:. The difference in phonetic classification and symbol overlooks subsegmental difference in aspiration that exists between the two. In English there are many sounds symbolized by short vowels: i:, ɜ:, ɑ:, ɔ:, and u: which are absent in Indonesian phonetic symbol. These sounds make difficulties to Indonesian speakers of English to identify for communication purposes. This study therefore aims to find out whether formal instruction improve the acquisition of English long vowels by Indonesian learners of English and to investigate which long vowels tend to be difficult to be transcribed by the students. The population of this study was the students who attended the English Phonology course of English Literature Study Program Faculty of Languges and Literature Universitas Negeri Makassar Indonesia. The study reveals that formal instruction improved the acquisition of English long vowels by Indonesian learners of English and the majority of subject gave wrong transcriptions on these two words, e.g., for word early, they transcribed like / :ʌrly/, / ierly/, / erli/, / eirly/, e-l-i/, / irli/, / irly/, / e:ly/, / irliy / and for word girl, they transcribe like / gir:l/, / ger:l/, / ger/, / gael/, / g-e-r-l/, / gerl/, / ge:l/, / ge;l/, / gi:l/.

Analyzing a group of EFL learners’ products Of two dictations: foreseeing orthographical difficulties and planning pronunciation exercises

This article analyzes the phoneme-grapheme correspondence in the products of two orthographic-text dictations taken by a group of sixteen English majors at the School of Modern Languages at the University of Costa Rica. Accordingly, before administering the dictation of the first text, the author looks for a correlation between a list of foreseen spelling difficulties and the possible mistakes the students will eventually make while decoding and transcribing the troublesome words and phrases of the text. Once the spelling difficulties have been identified, the author presents a series of pronunciation activities to help learners raise awareness towards this spotted difficulty. After this group of students carries out these pronunciation activities, the author administers a second dictation to observe the improvement reached and the effect of formal instruction on the students’ second dictation.

Effects of Formal Instruction on the Development of Learners’ Critical Thinking Ability

Effects of Formal Instruction on the Development of Learners’ Critical Thinking Ability

Implicit and explicit language learning: conditions, processes, and knowledge in SLA and bilingualism

1. IntroductionCristina Sanz and Ronald P. Leow, Georgetown University Part I: Theory 2. Stubborn Syntax: How It Resists Explicit Teaching and LearningBill VanPatten, Texas Tech University 3. An Epitaph for Grammar: An Abridged HistoryArthur S. Reber, University of British Columbia 4. Implicit and Explicit SLA and Their InterfaceNick C. Ellis, University of Michigan 5. How Analysis and Control Lead to Advantages and Disadvantages in Bilingual ProcessingEllen Bialystok, York University Part II: Methodological Issues and Empirical Research on Awareness, Pedagogical Contexts, and Individual Differences in SLA 6. Getting a Grip on the Slippery Construct of Awareness: Toward a Finer-Grained Methodological PerspectiveRonald P. Leow, Ellen Johnson, and German Zarate-Sandez, Georgetown University 7. Aging, Pedagogical Conditions, and Differential Success in SLA: An Empirical StudyAlison E. Lenet and Cristina Sanz, Georgetown University Beatriz Lado, University of San Diego James H. Howard Jr., The Catholic University of America and Georgetown University Medical Center and Darlene V. Howard, Georgetown University 8. Effects of Feedback Timing in SLA: A Computer-Assisted Study on the Spanish SubjunctiveFlorencia Henshaw, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 9. Working Memory Predicts the Acquisition of Explicit L2 KnowledgeJared A. Linck and Daniel J. Weiss, The Pennsylvania State University 10. The Effects of Formal Instruction and Study Abroad Contexts on Foreign Language Development: The SALA ProjectCarmen Perez-Vidal, Universitat Pompeu Fabra Maria Juan-Garau, University of the Balearic Islands and Joan C. Mora, Universitat de Barcelona 11. Input Processing Principles: A Contribution from First-Exposure DataRebekah Rast, The American University of Paris Part III: Empirical Research on L2 Phonology 12. What Is Implicit and What Is Explicit in L2 Speech? Findings from an Oral CorpusHeather E. Hilton, Universite Paris 8 13. Explicit Training and Implicit Learning of L2 Phonemic ContrastsFred R. Echman, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Gregory K. Iverson, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and University of Maryland Center for Advanced Study of Language Robert Allen Fox and Ewa Jacewicz, The Ohio State University, and Sue Ann Lee, Texas Tech University Part IV: Empirical Studies on Key Issues in Bilingualism: Aging, Third Language Acquisition, and Language Separation 14. English Speakers' Perception of Spanish Vowels: Evidence for Multiple Category AssimilationLeslie S. Gordon, The University of Georgia 15. Early Phonological Acquisition in a Set of English-Spanish Bilingual TwinsDavid Ingram and Virginia Dubasik, Arizona State University Juana Liceras, University of Ottawa and Racquel Fernandez Fuertes, University of Valladolid 16. Language Learning Strategies in Adult L3 Acquisition: Relationship between L3 Development, Strategy Use, L2 Levels and GenderHui-Ju Lin, Georgetown University 17. Effects of Bilingualism on Inhibitory Control in Elderly Brazilian BilingualsIngrid Finger, Johanna Dagort Billig, and Ana Paula Scholl, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Input frequencies in processing of verbal morphology in L1 and L2: Evidence from Russian

In this study we take a usage-based perspective on the analysis of data from the acquisition of verbal morphology by Norwegian adult learners of L2 Russian, as compared to children acquiring Russian as an L1. According to the usage-based theories, language learning is input-driven and frequency of occurrence of grammatical structures and lexical items in the input plays a key role in this process. We have analysed to what extent the acquisition and processing of Russian verbal morphology by children and adult L2 learners is dependent on the input factors, in particular on type and token frequencies. Our analysis of the L2 input based on the written material used in the instruction shows a different distribution of frequencies as compared to the target language at large. The results of the tests that elicited present tense forms of verbs belonging to four different inflectional classes (-AJ-, -A-, -I-, and -OVA-) have demonstrated that for both Russian children and L2 learners type frequency appears to be an important factor, influencing both correct stem recognition and generalisations. The results have also demonstrated token frequency effects. For L2 learners we observed also effects of formal instruction and greater reliance on morphological cues. In spite of the fact that L2 learners did not match completely any of the child groups, there are many similarities between L1 and L2 morphological processing, the main one being the role of frequency.

Ergonomics Case Study: Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation Instruction Issues for Students

This case study investigated the effectiveness of formal instruction of the Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation for university students who may use the equation in their future work. Their successes and challenges were examined through a class exercise and two exams, all of which followed the classroom instruction in applying the Lifting Equation. Results showed students (1) had difficulty determining relevant values for task variables from reading a job description, and (2) generally were able to calculate the Recommended Weight Limit (RWL) and Lifting Index (LI) when task variables were such that the associated multipliers were less than or equal to 1. However, when the multiplier was calculated to be greater than 1, students had difficulty interpreting the result. The task variable and multiplier (consistently the greatest challenge) were the asymmetry task variable, A, and the asymmetric multiplier, AM. Results indicate that the layout of the Job Analysis Worksheet for Step 1 may make it easy to make arithmetic errors when calculating multipliers. It is recommended that the worksheet be redesigned to help individuals decrease the probability of making an arithmetic error when calculating the task variables, multipliers, RWL, and LI. It is also recommended that the redesigned worksheet be tested to determine whether fewer arithmetic errors are made and if the worksheet is less confusing for an inexperienced user to use.

Language teaching

07–01Arkoudis, Sophie (U Melbourne, Australia; s.arkoudis@unimelb.edu.au), Fusing pedagogic horizons: Language and content teaching in the mainstream. Linguistics and Education (Elsevier) 16.2 (2005), 173–187.07–02Barwell, Richard (U Bristol, UK; richard.barwell@bris.ac.uk), Integrating language and content: Issues from the mathematics classroom. Linguistics and Education (Elsevier) 16.2 (2005), 205–218.07–03Cheng, An Chung (U Toledo, USA) & Clara C. Mojica-Diaz, The effects of formal instruction and study abroad on improving proficiency: The case of the Spanish subjunctive. Applied Language Learning (Defense Language Institute) 16.1 (2006), 17–36.07–04Creese, Angela (U Birmingham, UK; a.creese@bham.ac.uk), Is this content-based language teaching?Linguistics and Education (Elsevier) 16.2 (2005), 188–204.07–05Davison, Chris (U Hong Kong, China; cdavison@hku.hk), Learning your lines: Negotiating language and content in subject English. Linguistics and Education (Elsevier) 16.2 (2005), 219–237.07–06Freiermuth, Mark & Douglas Jarrell (Gunma Prefectural Women's U, Japan; mark-f@gpwu.ac.jp), Willingness to communicate: Can online chat help?International Journal of Applied Linguistics (Blackwell) 16.2 (2006), 189–212.07–07Haworth, Avril (Manchester Metropolitan U, UK), The literacy maze: Walking through or stepping round?Language and Education (Mutilingual Matters) 20.2 (2006), 95–109.07–08Jenkins, Jennifer (King's College London, UK; jennifer.jenkins@kcl.ac.uk), Points of view and blind spots: ELF and SLA. International Journal of Applied Linguistics (Blackwell) 16.2 (2006), 137–162.07–09Kaur, Jagdish & Volker Hegelheimer (Iowa State U, USA), ESL students' use of concordance in the transfer of academic word knowledge: An exploratory study. Computer Assisted Language Learning (Routledge/Taylor & Francis) 18.4 (2005), 287–310.07–10Lyster, Roy (McGill U, Canada; roy.lyster@mcgill.ca) & Hirohide Mori, Interactional feedback and instructional counterbalance.Studies in Second Language Acquisition (Cambridge University Press) 28.2 (2006), 269–300.07–11Nakatani, Yasuo (Nakamura Gakuen U, Japan; nakatani@nakamura-u.ac.jp), Developing an oral communication strategy inventory. The Modern Language Journal (Blackwell) 90.2 (2006), 151–168.07–12Naughton, Diane (U Granada, Spain; naughton@ugr.es), Cooperative strategy training and oral interaction: Enhancing small group communication in the language classroom. The Modern Language Journal (Blackwell) 90.2 (2006) 169–184.07–13Pauwels, Anne (U Western Australia, Australia) & Joanne Winter, Gender inclusivity or ‘Grammar rules OK’? Linguistic prescriptivism vs. linguistic discrimination in the classroom. Language and Education (Mutilingual Matters) 20.2 (2006), 128–140.07–14Peled-Elhanan, Nurit (Hebrew U Jerusalem & Tel-Aviv U, Israel) & Shoshana Blum-Kulka, Dialogue in the Israeli classroom: Types of teacher-student talk. Language and Education (Mutilingual Matters) 20.2 (2006), 110–127.07–15Plonsky, Luke & Susana V. Mills (Northern Arizona U, USA), An exploratory study of differing perceptions of error correction between a teacher and students: Bridging the gap. Applied Language Learning (Defense Language Institute) 16.1 (2006), 55–77.07–16Strauss, Susan (Pennsylvania State U, USA; sgs9@psu.edu), Jihye Lee & Kyungja Ahn, Applying conceptual grammar to advanced-level language teaching: The case of two completive constructions in Korean. The Modern Language Journal (Blackwell) 90.2 (2006) 185–209.07–17Vizconde, Camilla (U San Tomas, Philippines; Camille.vizconde@lycos.com), English language instruction in the Philippine basic education program. RELC Journal (Sage) 37.2 (2006), 260–273.07–18Wallen, Matthew (U Limerick, Ireland) & Helen Kelly-Holmes, ‘I think they just think it's going to go away at some stage’: Policy and practice in teaching English as an additional language in Irish primary schools. Language and Education (Mutilingual Matters) 20.2 (2006), 141–161.07–19Wedin, Asa (Högskolan Dalarna, Falun, Sweden), Literacy practices in rural Tanzania: The case of Karagwe. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development (Multilingual Matters) 27.3 (2006), 225–240.

Spanish Second Language Acquisition: State of the Science

PrefaceIntroductionBarbara A. Lafford and Rafael Salaberry Part I: Linguistic Topics: Products 1. PhonologyStaking Out the Territory at the Turn of the Century: Integrating Phonological Theory, Research, and the Effect of Formal Instruction on Pronunciation in the Acquisition of Spanish as a Second LanguageA. Raymond Elliott 2. Tense/AspectThe Development of Tense/Aspect Morphology in Spanish as a Second LanguageSilvina Montrul and Rafael Salaberry 3. Subjunctive/SyntaxThe Development of Subjunctive and Complex-Syntactic Abilities among Foreign Language Learners of SpanishJoseph G. Collentine 4. CliticsCognitive and Linguistic Perspectives on the Acquisition of Object Pronouns in Spanish as a Second LangaugeJames F. Lee 5. LexiconThe Acquisition of Lexical Meaning by Second Language Learners: An Analysis of General Research Trends with Evidence from SpanishBarbara A. Lafford, Joseph G. Collentine, and Adam S. Karp 6. Pragmatics/DiscoursePragmatics and Discourse Analysis in Spanish Second Language Acquisition Research and PedagogyDale A. Koike, Lynn Pearson, and Caryn Witten Part II: Theoretical Perspectives: Processes 7. Generative PerspectivesCurrent Issues in the Gernerative Study of Spanish Second Language SyntaxLiliana Sanchez and Almeida Jacqueline Toribio 8. Cognitive PerspectivesCognitive Perspectives on the Acquisition of Spanish as a Second LanguagePaola E. Dussias 9. Sociocultural PerspectivesSociocultural Theory and the Acquisition of Spanish as a Second LanguageMarta Anton, Frederick J. Dicamilla, and James P. Lantolf Part III: Methodological Perspectives 10. InstructionThe Role of Instruction in Spanish Second Language AcquisitionCharles Grove AfterwordBarbara A. Lafford and Rafael Salaberry ContributorsIndex

EMT domestic violence knowledge and the results of an educational intervention

The objective of this study was to determine levels of knowledge regarding domestic violence (DV), and the effectiveness of formal instruction about DV. A general knowledge survey of DV was given before and approximately 4 to 6 months after 3 hours of instruction given by Emergency Medicine and Law Enforcement faculty. A Emergency medical service (EMS) consisting of 73% paramedic-level providers in a metropolitan urban/suburban area. Differences in DV knowledge before and after the instruction were the main outcome measures. In the preinstruction series, 46 emergency medical technicians (EMTs) participated. After the instruction 19 EMTs participated (42%). Thirty-five percent of EMTs before instruction and 37% after instruction correctly identified the prevalence of DV against women as 15% to 30%. Thirty-five percent of EMTs before instruction and 63% after instruction ( P < .05) correctly identified the prevalence of DV against men as 0% to 15%. Before instruction 54% knew that DV is equal among races, and 79% after instruction ( P < .05). Before instruction 37% of EMTs knew that DV is equal in different socioeconomic groups and 68% after instruction ( P < .05). The percent of EMTs who knew that the victim is not responsible for the abuse was 50% before instruction and 89% after instruction ( P < .05). Before instruction, the results on a knowledge questionnaire were 54% correct, after instruction, results improved to 71% correct. Improvement in understanding of DV was shown for 4 of 11 questions after 3 hours of instruction. These results indicate the need for more instruction on DV for EMTs.

Domestic violence awareness and prevalence in a first-year medical school class.

To determine knowledge about domestic violence (DV), the effectiveness of formal instruction about DV, and the prevalence of DV in a first-year medical school class. A general-knowledge survey of DV was given before and approximately 1 month after 3 hours of instruction provided by emergency medicine and internal medicine faculty. A previously validated scale, the Index of Spouse Abuse (ISA), was offered to determine baseline levels, of DV within the group. Differences in first-year medical student knowledge of facts about DV and differences in responses by men vs women were determined before and after the instruction. In the pre-instruction series, 144 of 148 (97%) participated. After the instruction, 141 of the same 148 students participated (95%). The prevalence of DV against women was correctly identified by 45% of the students as "15-30%" prior to instruction, and 65% after instruction. The prevalence of DV against males was correctly identified as "0-15%" by 48% of the students prior to instruction, and 70% after instruction. Before instruction, 29% of the students knew that "DV rates are equal in different socioeconomic groups," vs 72% after instruction. Similarly, prior to instruction 58% of the students knew that the victim is not responsible for the abuse, and 84% knew this after instruction. Before instruction 14 (10%) of the students believed they were victims of DV in the past, representing 7% of the men and 13% of the women. Before instruction neither group believed they were present victims of DV. However, according to ISA scoring, 6% of the women were positive for violence in the past, and approximately 5% were positive for present violence. No men were positive for ISA-determined past or present violence. Improvement in awareness was demonstrated after 3 hours of instruction in a first-year medical school class. There was DV among female medical students in this first-year class and self-reporting was not reliable. These results support instruction on DV for medical students.

A comparison of three methods of instruction for acquiring information skills

Summary The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of formal instruction for acquiring library study skills at elementary school level. For this purpose, the study examines the significant differences in the performances of library study skills in fourth‐, fifth‐ and sixth‐grade students comparing resource‐based and no library study skills, and non‐integrated and no library study skills instruction. Samples were drawn from six elementary schools located in the Metropolitan Toronto area consisting of 300 students in the fourth, fifth and sixth grades. The data were collected during the fall term 1994 using the instrument of the School Library/Media Skills Test developed by Hyland, and were analysed using ANOVA (analysis of variance). The Scheffe test of three‐way interaction showed that the performance of the sixth‐grade students in resource‐based instruction was significantly higher than that of students in no library study skills instruction for all the skills (p < 0.01 to p < 0.0001). No significant differences, however, were found in the performance of the sixth‐grade students between non‐integrated and no library study skills instruction. For the fourth‐ and fifth‐grade students, there were no significant differences to be found between resource‐based and no library study skills, as well as between non‐integrated and no library study skills instruction. It was demonstrated that resource‐based instruction was the most effective approach for acquiring library study skills not only compared with no library study skills instruction, but also compared with non‐integrated instruction. Although it was impossible to define the learning growth due to the cross‐sectional design of the presented study, it was demonstrated that the highest learning growth during the three years from fourth to sixth grades was in resource‐based instruction and the lowest was in no library study skills instruction.

The effect of formal instruction in ophthalmoscopy on medical student performance

Ophthalmoscopy is an essential part of a complete clinical examination of a patient. However specific formal instruction in fundoscopy is rarely given to medical students. We decided to determine the value of explicit teaching of ophthalmoscopy and devised and validated a rating scale for assessing performance which was used to evaluate 29 first year clinical medical student volunteers at St. Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College, before and after formal instruction in fundoscopy. The competence of this group at ophthalmoscopy was then compared to the rest of their year (109 medical students) during the objective structured clinical end-of-year examination. Students formally instructed in ophthalmoscopy showed an improved score after instruction (from 53% to 77%). They also performed better at fundoscopy than the rest of their year (mean average score 64%), when tested 2 months later, suggesting persistence of the training effect. However as a group they performed no better than their peers at clinical skills other than ophthalmoscopy. We suggest that as fundoscopy is such an important clinical skill, medical students should be given specific teaching, preferably in their ophthalmology firm attachment, as we have shown that it results in a persistent improvement in performance.

The Effects of Formal Instruction on the Second‐Language Acquisition of Temporal Location*

The purpose of this research was to contrast the acquisition of temporal systems in L1 and tutored L2 learners. The research focused on the distinction between absolute and relative temporal location: the former relates event time to speech time and the latter relates event time to reference time. An experiment was conducted using a sentence‐picture matching task with Polish adults learning English and American children ranging in age from 2½ to 6½ years. The comprehension test contained contrasts that required absolute location (e.g., past/future) and relative location (e.g., before/after). L1 learners comprehended problems involving absolute temporal contrasts first and those with a relative component later. Tutored L2 learners follow a different pattern. Their initial temporal system had both absolute and relative dimensions. A second major difference between L1 and tutored L2 learners concerned the acquisition of tense and aspect. L1 learners understood both tense and aspect contrasts from the earliest phase of development evaluated. Tutored L2 learners could understand tense well before aspect. The research emphasizes the relevance of pedagogical practices to the foreign language learning process as opposed to so‐called “natural sequences”.

Universal Grammar in the classroom: the effects of formal instruction on second language acquisition

One of the dominating issues in recent second language acquisition research has been the question of whether or not L2 learners have access to principles of Universal Grammar. It seems that currently there is fairly strong evidence both for and against UG-access by L2 learners. Consequently, the question arises what kinds of factors may potentially further or block UG-access and whether such factors can be related to certain properties of the learning environment. In this paper we wish to approach this question by looking at a somewhat extreme learning situation, namely the acquisition (or maybe non-acquisition) of English as a second language by 77 German high school students who learned and were exposed to English exclusively during classroom hours. These students were tested for their ability to correctly judge grammaticality contrasts in English that are standardly attributed to UG principles. The results suggest that - even under a most liberal interpretation - these students did not show any evidence of having UG-access. Rather, they utilized a number of strategies that (a) tied them very tightly to properties of German and (b) prevented them from making any generalizations that went beyond what had been explicitly taught in the classroom.

The Effects of Instruction in Geography on College Students' Perception of World Regions as Tourism Destinations

This study assessed college students' perception of twelve world geographic regions as travel destinations before and after completing an introductory course in world regional geography. It also surveyed the students' perceptions of each of the regions regarding four tourism-related factors: physical landscape attractiveness, cultural attractiveness, travel safety, and quality of tourist services. Furthermore, the study assessed whether attitudes and perceptions about people and places were changed or reinforced by instruction in geography. The study has practical significance from two points of view. First, information about American college students' perceptions of broad geographic regions may be of practical value in making travel marketing decisions. Secondly, information about the effects of formal instruction in geography on students' perception of the world is of interest for pedagogic reasons.On the pre-course survey, the Pacific Islands, Australia/New Zealand, and Western Europe were in close com...

The Effect of Formal Instruction on Monitored and on Spontaneous Naturalistic Interlanguage Performance: A Case Study

M The role of grammar instruction in second language acquisition is one of the most controversial issues in second language teaching and second language learning research. Advocates of formal instruction (e.g., Seliger, 1979; Sharwood Smith, 1981) argue that focusing on the formal characteristics of L2 input data facilitates hypothesis formulation and testing. In this respect, formal instruction is a shortcut to learning and enhances formal accuracy. On the other hand, critics (e.g., Krashen, 1982) maintain that grammar knowledge is of limited use and can even be counterproductive in spontaneous communication. Two theories of L2 learning that make explicit claims about the role of formal instruction are Krashen's (1982) and Bialystok's (1979) models. Krashen maintains that the knowledge language learners get through formal instruction is available for use only in monitored situations, when the user focuses on form, and that it cannot be used in spontaneous production, when the focus is on meaning. Bialystok's theory claims that formal instruction followed by formal practice is beneficial for both spontaneous and controlled performance. Studies on the effect of grammar instruction on formal accuracy in language use (e.g., Pica, 1983; Schumann, 1978) have arrived at incongruous findings. Schumann looked at the effects of formal instruction on the development of English negation in an adult learning ESL in a naturalistic environment. The instruction had a major effect on monitored elicited language use but not on spontaneous production. Schumann reported that his subject appeared to have very low motivation to learn English and that his attitude toward the English-speaking community was negative. He concluded that the subject's interlanguage did not develop because he was socially and psychologically separated from the Englishspeaking community and that instruction was not strong enough to overcome pidginization caused by social and psychological distance. However, he did not explain why formal instruction affected monitored performance but not spontaneous production. Pica (1983) examined the contribution of formal instruction to second language acquisition by studying the spontaneous production of English grammatical morphology by adult learners learning English in three different contexts: formal, naturalistic, and mixed. Her findings showed that formal instruction promotes accuracy in language use but that it may lead to overuse of the learned pattern. Pica's study provides valuable insights into the effect of analyzed knowledge on formal accuracy in spontaneous language use. However, with respect to Krashen's and