focus on form instruction foundations, applications, and.pdfVIP

47 The Reading Matrix Vol. 5, No. 1, April 2005 FOCUS ON FORM INSTRUCTION: FOUNDATIONS, APPLICATIONS, AND CRITICISMS Alex Poole Email: alex.poole@ Abstract _________________ Focus on form instruction makes up an important part of the literature on second language acquisition research. However, few works have both summarized and critically evaluated focus on form instruction. This article seeks to fill this gap. More precisely, it reviews its main principles, and points out the difficulties of implementing this relatively new pedagogical innovation in all but a limited number of instructional settings. It concludes by proposing conditions under which focus on form instruction could effectively function. __________________ Introduction By glancing at the table of contents in major English language teaching journals, one will quickly realize that focus on form instruction is a key theme in many empirical and descriptive research articles. Clearly, this innovation, which was put forth by Long (1991) and Long and Robinson (1998), has been a source of great enthusiasm for English language teachers and researchers, so much so that many have praised it as if it were the miracle method they had always been searching for. However, this enthusiasm needs to be curbed, since studies of focus on form instruction present a mixed picture of its ability to promote L2 grammatical acquisition. In addition, the empirical, curricular, practical, linguistic, and cultural realities of many English language teaching settings make it unlikely that focus on form will become widely adopted. In this critical analysis, my purpose is threefold: (1) to highlight the central aspects of focus on form instruction;