Focus on Form.pptVIP

Focus on Formin Second Language Acquisition? Cheng Xiaotang School of Foreign Languages and Literature Beijing Normal University I. What is focus on form? Background: After a long time of debate on the advantages and disadvantages of form-focused instruction and meaning-focused instruction, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the mainstream view on this issue seemed to agree that second language teaching (acquisition) that is primarily meaning-focused can be improved if some degree of attention is paid to form. A few definitions: Focus on form … overtly draws students’ attention to linguistic elements as they arise incidentally in lessons whose overriding focus is on meaning or communication (Long, 1991, cited in Doughty, 2001) ? Focus on form involves an occasional shift in attention to linguistic code features — by the teacher and/or one or more students — triggered by perceived problems with comprehension or production (Long and Robinsin, 1998) ? Focus on form: within a communicative approach, referring to learners and teachers addressing formal features of language that play a role in the meanings that are negotiated. This is contrasted with a focus on formS, which emphasis formal aspects rather than meaningful activities (Carter and Nunan, 2001). II. Difference between focus on form and focus on formS Summary: … a focus on form entails a focus on formal elements of language, whereas focus on forms is limited to such a focus, and focus on meaning excludes it. … the fundamental assumption … is that meaning and use must already be evident to the learner at the time that attention is drawn to the linguistic apparatus needed to get the meaning across (Doughty and Williams, 1998). III. Why focus on form? ?(1) When classroom second language learning is entirely experiential and meaning-focused (e.g., the immersion program in Canada), some linguistic features do not ultimately develop to target-like levels. ? (2) Aspects of the L2 input learners need to