CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Overview 1
1.2 Background 4
1.3 Research questions 8
1.4 Thesis outline 9
CHAPTER 2 THE COGNITIVE APPROACH TO SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION 9
2.1 Introduction 10
2.2 Input 11
2.2.1 Positive evidence 11
2.2.2 Negative evidence 14
2.3 Apperceived input(noticed-input) 16
2.4 Comprehended input 17
2.5 Intake 18
2.5.1 Attention 18
2.5.2 Linguistic knowledge 19
2.6 Integration 20
2.7 Output 21
2.8 The relationship between cognitive processes and focus on form 23
2.9 Summary 24
CHAPTER 3 THE INTERACTIONIST APPROACH TO SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION 24
3.1 Introduction 25
3.2 The interaction hypothesis 25
3.3 Negotiation in SLA 27
3.3.1 Contribution of negotiation to comprehensible input 28
3.3.2 Contribution of negotiation to modified output 30
3.3.3 Contribution of negotiation to awareness of linguistic features 32
3.4 The relationship between the interactionist approach and focus on form 34
3.5 Summary 35
CHAPTER 4 FOCUS ON FORM 36
4.1 Introduction 36
4.2 Focus on form 36
4.2.1 Planned focus on form and incidental focus on form 37
4.2.2 Reactive versus preemptive focus on form 39
4.3 General characteristics of focus on form episodes 41
4.3.1 Approach 42
4.3.2 Instigator 42
4.3.3 Linguistic focus 43
4.3.4 Timing 43
4.3.5 Source 44
4.4 Categories in Reactive FFEs 45
4.4.1 Trigger 45
4.4.2 Response 45
4.4.3 Uptake 46
4.5 Categories in Student-initiated FFEs 47
4.5.1 Trigger 47
4.5.2 Response 48
4.5.3 Uptake 48
4.6 Categories in Teacher-initiated FFEs 49
4.6.1 Trigger 49
4.6.2 Response 49
4.6.3 Uptake 50
4.7 The framework of identifying FFEs for the present study 50
4.7.1 Types of FFE 51
4.7.2 Types of feedback 51
4.7.3 Linguistic focus 52
4.7.4 Types of uptake 52
4.8 Summary 53
CHAPTER 5 RESEARCH VARIABLES IN THE STUDY 54
5.1 Introduction 54
5.2 Interactional patterns 54
5.2.1 Teacher-learner interaction 55
5.2.2 Learner-learner interaction 60
5.3 Learner-proficiency levels 63
5.4 Summary 67
CHPATER 6 METHODOLOGY 69
6.1 Introduction 69
6.2 Design 69
6.2.1 Research context 70
6.2.2 Participants 71
6.2.3 Tasks used for data collection 72
6.3 Data collection 76
6.4 Transcription 78
6.5 Analysis 79
6.5.1 Identification of FFEs 79
6.5.2 Coding of FFEs 79
6.5.3 Reliability of coding 102
6.5.4 Statistical analysis 103
6.6 The pilot study 104
6.7 Summary 106
CHAPTER 7 RESULTS 107
7.1 Introduction 107
7.2 Results addressing the first research question 108
7.2.1 Overall occurrence of FFE types 109
7.2.2 To what extent is there a difference in FFE types in Teacher-learner and Learner-learner interactions? 110
7.2.3 To what extent is there a difference in FFE types in Advanced and Elementary classes? 111
7.2.4 In what aspects are there differences in FFE types in Advanced and Elementary classes? 112
7.3 Results addressing the second research question 115
7.3.1 Overall occurrence of feedback types 115
7.3.2 To what extent is there a difference in feedback types in Teacher-learner and Learner-learner interactions? 116
7.3.3 To what extent is there a difference in feedback types in Advanced and Elementary classes? 122
7.3.4 In what aspects are there differences in feedback types in Advanced and Elementary classes? 123
7.4 Results addressing the third research question 130
7.4.1 Overall occurrence of linguistic focus 131
7.4.2 To what extent is there a difference in linguistic focus in Teacher-learner and Learner-learner interactions? 132
7.4.3 To what extent is there a difference in linguistic focus in Advanced and Elementary classes? 133
7.4.4 In what aspects are there difference in linguistic focus between Advanced and Elementary classes? 134
7.5 Results addressing the fourth research question 137
7.5.1 Overall occurrence of uptake types 138
7.5.2 To what extent is there a difference in uptake types in Teacher-learner and Learner-learner interactions? 138
7.5.3 To what extent is there a difference in uptake types in Advanced and Elementary classes? 140
7.5.4 In what aspects are there differences in uptake types in Advanced and Elementary classes? 141
7.6 Results summary 145
CHAPTER 8 DISCUSSION 147
8.1 Introduction 147
8.2 Discussion of the first research question 148
8.2.1 Overall occurrence of FFE types 148
8.2.2 To what extent is there a difference in FFE types in Teacher-learner and Learner-learner interactions? 150
8.2.3 To what extent is there a difference in FFE types in Advanced and Elementary classes? 151
8.2.4 In what aspects are there differences in FFE types in Advanced and Elementary classes? 152
8.2.5 Summary of discussion of the first research question 154
8.3 Discussion of the second research question 155
8.3.1 Overall occurrence of feedback types 155
8.3.2 To what extent is there a difference in feedback types of FFEs in Teacher-learner and Learner-learner interactions? 156
8.3.3 To what extent is there a difference in feedback types in Advanced and Elementary classes? 165
8.3.4 In what aspects are there differences in feedback types in Advanced and Elementary classes? 167
8.3.5 Summary of discussion of the second research question 172
8.4 Discussion of the third research question 173
8.4.1 Overall occurrence of linguistic focus 173
8.4.2 To what extent is there a difference in linguistic focus in Teacher-learner and Learner-learner interactions? 175
8.4.3 To what extent is there a difference in linguistic focus in Advanced and Elementary classes? 176
8.4.4 In what aspects are there differences in linguistic focus between Advanced and Elementary classes? 177
8.4.5 Summary of the third research question 178
8.5 Discussion of the fourth research question 179
8.5.1 Overall occurrence of uptake types 180
8.5.2 To what extent is there a difference in uptake types in Teacher-learner and Learner-learner interactions? 181
8.5.3 To what extent is there a difference in uptake types in Advanced and Elementary classes? 185
8.5.4 In what aspects are there differences in uptake types in Advanced and Elementary classes? 186
8.5.5 Summary of discussion of the fourth research question 187
CHAPTER 9 CONCLUSION 189
9.1 Introduction 189
9.2 Results summary 189
9.2.1 FFE types 189
9.2.2 Feedback types 190
9.2.3 Linguistic focus 191
9.2.4 Uptake types 192
9.3 Implications 193
9.3.1 Theoretical implications 193
9.3.2 Pedagogical implications 196
9.4 Limitations of the study 199
9.5 Directions for futher research 202
9.6 Conclusion 203
APPENDICES 205
APPENDIX A:Ethics forms Participant Information Sheet 205
APPENDIX B:General characteristics of Forms-Focused Episodes 210
APPENDIX C:Tasks used for the pilot study 214
APPENDIX D:Tasks used for data collection 219
APPENDIX E:Transcription key 232
APPENDIX F:Sample of transcription 234
REFERENCES 247
LIST OF TABLES 51
Table 1 The framework for identifying FFEs in the present study 51
Table 2 Observation record 77
Table 3 The framework for coding FFEs in the present study 80
Table 4 Percentage of agreement on features of FFEs in the reliability coding 102
Table 5 Length of time spent on each task in the pilot study 105
Table 6 Average frequency of FFEs in the pilot study 105
Table 7 Overall occurrence of FFE types 109
Table 8 Reactive and Learner-initiated preemptive FFEs in Teacher-learner and Learner-learner interactions 110
Table 9 FFE types in Advanced and Elementary classes 112
Table 10 FFE types in the two classes in Teacher-learner interactions 113
Table 11 FFE types in the two classes in Learner-learner interactions 114
Table 12 Overall feedback types 116
Table 13 Feedback types in Teacher-learner and Learner-learner interactions 117
Table 14 Feedback types in Reactive FFEs in Teacher-learner and Learner-learner interactions 119
Table 15 Feedback types in Teacher-initiated preemptive FFEs in Teacher-learner interactions 121
Table 16 Feedback types in Learner-initiated preemptive FFEs in Teacher-learner and Learner-learner interactions 121
Table 17 Feedback types in Advanced and Elementary classes 123
Table 18 Feedback types in Reactive FFEs in the two classes in Teacher-learner interactions 125
Table 19 Feedback types in Reactive FFEs in the two classes in Learner-learner interactions 127
Table 20 Feedback types in Learner-initiated preemptive FFEs in the two classes in Teacher-learner interactions 128
Table 21 Feedback types in Learner-initiated preemptive FFEs in the two classes in Learner-learner interactions 129
Table 22 Feedback types in Teacher-initiated preemptive FFEs in Teacher-learner interactions 130
Table 23 Overall occurrence of linguistic focus 131
Table 24 Linguistic focus in Teacher-learner and Learner-learner interactions 132
Table 25 Linguistic focus in Advanced and Elementary classes 134
Table 26 Linguistic focus in the two classes in Teacher-learner interactions 135
Table 27 Linguistic focus in the two classes in Learner-learner interactions 136
Table 28 Overall occurrence of uptake types 138
Table 29 Uptake types in Teacher-learner and Learner-learner interactions 139
Table 30 Uptake types in Advanced and Elementary classes 141
Table 31 Uptake types in the two classes in Teacher-learner interactions 143
Table 32 Uptake types in the two classes in Learner-learner interactions 144
Table 33 Results summary 145
LIST OF FIGURES 11
Figure 1 A model of five stages of the mental process in SLA(Gass,1997) 11
Figure 2 Input in L2 classroom(Long and Robinson,1998) 12
Figure 3 Reactive and Learner-initiated preemptive FFEs in T-L and L-L interactions 111
Figure 4 FFE types in Advanced and Elementary classes 112
Figure 5 FFE types in the two classes in Teacher-learner interactions 114
Figure 6 Feedback types in Teacher-learner and Learner-learner interactions 118
Figure 7 Feedback types in Reactive FFEs in Teacher-learner and Learner-learner interactions 120
Figure 8 Feedback types in Learner-initiated preemptive FFEs in Teacher-learner and Learner-learner interactions 122
Figure 9 Feedback types in Advanced and Elementary classes 124
Figure 10 Feedback types in Reactive FFEs in the two classes in Teacher-learner interactions 126
Figure 11 Feedback types in Learner-initiated preemptive FFEs in the two classes in Learner-learner interactions 129
Figure 12 Linguistic focus in Teacher-learner and Learner-learner interactions 133
Figure 13 Linguistic focus in Advanced and Elementary classes 134
Figure 14 Linguistic focus in the two classes in Teacher-learner interactions 136
Figure 15 Linguistic focus in the two classes in Learner-learner interactions 137
Figure 16 Uptake types in Teacher-learner and Learner-learner interactions 140
Figure 17 Uptake types in Advanced and Elementary classes 142
Figure 18 Uptake types in the two classes in Teacher-learner interactions 144