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Immediate and Long-term Effects of Form-Focused Instruction in the Acquisition of English Relative Clauses: Evidence from Turkish EFL Learners

Year 2004, Volume: 21 Issue: 1, 35 - 53, 01.09.2015

Abstract

This article examines immediate and long-term effects of explicit formal instruction in the learning of relative clauses in English by Turkish native speakers. Forty-five 9-graders (aged 15-17) participated in the study. Data were collected by means of three different sentence combination tests and two different grammaticality judgment tests. Subjects were pretested prior to instruction on relative clauses, post-tested two days after, follow-up tested 6 weeks later and finally they were given a long-term test 6 months after instruction. Although the subjects’ performance seemed to improve considerably on their posttests, these results appeared to be only short term. Our findings support the view that though the immediate effects of form-focused instruction are positive, they do not appear to be long-lasting.

References

  • Borsley, R. (1992). More on the difference between English restrictive and non-restrictive relative clauses. Journal of Linguistics 28, 139-148.
  • Celce-Murcia, M., & Larsen-Freeman, D. (1983). The grammar book. Boston: Heinle& Heinle Publishers.
  • Chomsky, N. (1959). Review of B.F. Skinner Verbal Behavior. Language 35, 26-58.
  • Cook, V. J. (1973). The comparison of language development in native children and foreign adults. International Review of Applied Linguistics, 11 (1), 13-28.
  • Doughty, C. (1991). Second language instruction does make a difference: Evidence from an empirical study on second language relativization. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 13, 431-469.
  • Ellis, R. (1994). The study of second language acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Fabb, N. (1990). The difference between English restrictive and non-restrictive relative clauses. Journal of Linguistics 26, 57-78.
  • Gass, S. (1979). Language transfer and universal grammatical relations. Language Learning, 29, 327-344.
  • Gass, S., & Ard, J. (1980). L2 data: Their relevance for language universals. TESOL Quarterly, 14, 443-452.
  • Ioup, G., & A. Kruse. (1977). Interference versus structural complexity in second language acquisition: Language universals as a basic for natural sequencing. In H.D. Brown, C.A. Yorio, and R.H. Crymes (Eds.). Teaching and learning English as a second language: Trends in research and practice, 159-171. Washington D.C.: TESOL.
  • Izumi, S., & Lakshmanan, U. (1998). Learnability, negative evidence and the L2 acquisition of the English passive. Second Language Research, 14, 62-101.
  • Jacobs, R.A. (1995). English syntax: A grammar for English professionals. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Keenan, E. & Comrie, B. (1977). Noun phrase accessibility and universal grammar. Linguistic Inquiry, 8, 63-99.
  • Kuno, S. (1974). The position of relative clauses and conjunctions. Linguistic Inquiry 5, 117-136.
  • Lightbown, P.M. (1991). What have we here? Some observations on the role of instruction in second language acquisition. In R. Phillipson, E. Kellerman, L. Selinker, M. Sharwood-Smith & M. Swain (Eds.), Foreign/second language pedagogy research: A commemorative volume for Claus Faerch. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
  • Lightbown, P.M., Spada, N. & Wallace, R. (1980). Some effects of instruction on child and adolescent ESL learners. In R. Scarcella & S. Krashen (Eds.), Research in second language acquisition 162-172. Rowley, Mass.: Newbury House.
  • Lightbown, P., & Spada, N. (1990). Focus-on-form and corrective feedback in communicative language teaching. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 12, 429-448.
  • Lightbown, P., & Spada, N. (1993). Instruction and the development of questions in L2 classrooms. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 15, 205-224.
  • Pienemann, M. (1984). Psychological constraints on the teachability of languages. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 6, 186-214.
  • Pienemann, M. (1985). Learnability and syllabus construction. K. Hyltenstam & M. Pienemann (Eds.), Modelling and assessing second language acquisition, içinde 23-76. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
  • Pienemann, M. (1987). Psychological constraints on the teachability of languages. In C.Plaff (Ed.), First and second language acquisition processes. 143-168. Cambridge: Newbury House Publishers.
  • Prideaux, G. D. & Baker, W. J. (1986). Strategies and structures: The processing of relative clauses. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
  • Richards, J.C., & Rodgers, T.S. (1986) Approaches and methods in language teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Rutherford, W.E. (1987). Second language grammar: Learning and teaching. Harlow: Longman.
  • Scholfield, P. (1995). Quantifying language: A researcher’s and teacher’s guide to gathering language data and reducing it to figures. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
  • Schumann, J. (1978). The pidginization process: A model for second language acquisition. Rowley: Newbury House.
  • Schwartz, B.D., & Gubala-Ryzak, M. (1992). Learnability and grammar re-organization in L2A: Against negative evidence causing the unlearning of verb movement. Second Language Research, 8, 1-38.
  • Schwartz, B.D. (1993). On explicit and negative data effecting and affecting competence and linguistic behavior. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 15, 147-163.
  • Scott, V.M. (1989). An empirical study of explicit and implicit teaching strategies in French. The Modern Language Journal, 14-22.
  • Sheldon, A. (1974). On the role of parallel function in the acquisition of relative clauses in English. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behaviour 13, 272-281.
  • Sheldon, A. (1977). On strategies for processing relative clauses: A comparison of children and adults. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research 6, 305-318.
  • Stauble, A. (1978). Decreolization: A model for second language development. Language Learning 28, 29-54.
  • Terrell, T.D. (1991). The role of grammar instruction in a communicative approach. The Modern Language Journal, 75, 52-63.
  • Tezel, Z. (1998). The acquisition of restrictive relative clause configurations in English as a second language. Unpublished PhD. dissertation. University of Pennslyvania, Indiana.
  • Trahey, M. & White, L. (1993). Positive evidence and preemption in the second language classroom. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 15, 181-204.
  • Trahey, M. (1996). Positive evidence in second language acquisition: some long-term effects. Second Language Research,12 (2), 111-139.
  • White, L. (1990). Second language acquisition and universal grammar. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 12, 121-133.
  • White, L. (1991a). Adverb placement in second language acquisition: some effects of positive and negative evidence in the classroom. Second Language Research, 7 (2), 133-161.
  • White, L. (1991b) The verb-movement parameter in second language acquisition. Language Acquisition, 1, 337-360.
  • White, L. (1992). Long and short verb movement in second language acquisition. Canadian Journal of Linguistics, 37 (2), 273-286.
  • White, L. (1992). On triggering data in L2 acquisition: A reply to Schwartz and Gubala-Ryzak. Second Language Research, 8 (2), 120-137.

Immediate and Long-term Effects of Form-Focused Instruction in the Acquisition of English Relative Clauses: Evidence from Turkish EFL Learners

Year 2004, Volume: 21 Issue: 1, 35 - 53, 01.09.2015

Abstract

This article examines immediate and long-term effects of explicit formal instruction in the learning of relative
clauses in English by Turkish native speakers. Forty-five 9-graders (aged 15-17) participated in the study.
Data were collected by means of three different sentence combination tests and two different grammaticality
judgment tests. Subjects were pretested prior to instruction on relative clauses, post-tested two days after,
follow-up tested 6 weeks later and finally they were given a long-term test 6 months after instruction.
Although the subjects’ performance seemed to improve considerably on their posttests, these results appeared
to be only short term. Our findings support the view that though the immediate effects of form-focused
instruction are positive, they do not appear to be long-lasting. 

References

  • Borsley, R. (1992). More on the difference between English restrictive and non-restrictive relative clauses. Journal of Linguistics 28, 139-148.
  • Celce-Murcia, M., & Larsen-Freeman, D. (1983). The grammar book. Boston: Heinle& Heinle Publishers.
  • Chomsky, N. (1959). Review of B.F. Skinner Verbal Behavior. Language 35, 26-58.
  • Cook, V. J. (1973). The comparison of language development in native children and foreign adults. International Review of Applied Linguistics, 11 (1), 13-28.
  • Doughty, C. (1991). Second language instruction does make a difference: Evidence from an empirical study on second language relativization. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 13, 431-469.
  • Ellis, R. (1994). The study of second language acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Fabb, N. (1990). The difference between English restrictive and non-restrictive relative clauses. Journal of Linguistics 26, 57-78.
  • Gass, S. (1979). Language transfer and universal grammatical relations. Language Learning, 29, 327-344.
  • Gass, S., & Ard, J. (1980). L2 data: Their relevance for language universals. TESOL Quarterly, 14, 443-452.
  • Ioup, G., & A. Kruse. (1977). Interference versus structural complexity in second language acquisition: Language universals as a basic for natural sequencing. In H.D. Brown, C.A. Yorio, and R.H. Crymes (Eds.). Teaching and learning English as a second language: Trends in research and practice, 159-171. Washington D.C.: TESOL.
  • Izumi, S., & Lakshmanan, U. (1998). Learnability, negative evidence and the L2 acquisition of the English passive. Second Language Research, 14, 62-101.
  • Jacobs, R.A. (1995). English syntax: A grammar for English professionals. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Keenan, E. & Comrie, B. (1977). Noun phrase accessibility and universal grammar. Linguistic Inquiry, 8, 63-99.
  • Kuno, S. (1974). The position of relative clauses and conjunctions. Linguistic Inquiry 5, 117-136.
  • Lightbown, P.M. (1991). What have we here? Some observations on the role of instruction in second language acquisition. In R. Phillipson, E. Kellerman, L. Selinker, M. Sharwood-Smith & M. Swain (Eds.), Foreign/second language pedagogy research: A commemorative volume for Claus Faerch. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
  • Lightbown, P.M., Spada, N. & Wallace, R. (1980). Some effects of instruction on child and adolescent ESL learners. In R. Scarcella & S. Krashen (Eds.), Research in second language acquisition 162-172. Rowley, Mass.: Newbury House.
  • Lightbown, P., & Spada, N. (1990). Focus-on-form and corrective feedback in communicative language teaching. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 12, 429-448.
  • Lightbown, P., & Spada, N. (1993). Instruction and the development of questions in L2 classrooms. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 15, 205-224.
  • Pienemann, M. (1984). Psychological constraints on the teachability of languages. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 6, 186-214.
  • Pienemann, M. (1985). Learnability and syllabus construction. K. Hyltenstam & M. Pienemann (Eds.), Modelling and assessing second language acquisition, içinde 23-76. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
  • Pienemann, M. (1987). Psychological constraints on the teachability of languages. In C.Plaff (Ed.), First and second language acquisition processes. 143-168. Cambridge: Newbury House Publishers.
  • Prideaux, G. D. & Baker, W. J. (1986). Strategies and structures: The processing of relative clauses. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
  • Richards, J.C., & Rodgers, T.S. (1986) Approaches and methods in language teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Rutherford, W.E. (1987). Second language grammar: Learning and teaching. Harlow: Longman.
  • Scholfield, P. (1995). Quantifying language: A researcher’s and teacher’s guide to gathering language data and reducing it to figures. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
  • Schumann, J. (1978). The pidginization process: A model for second language acquisition. Rowley: Newbury House.
  • Schwartz, B.D., & Gubala-Ryzak, M. (1992). Learnability and grammar re-organization in L2A: Against negative evidence causing the unlearning of verb movement. Second Language Research, 8, 1-38.
  • Schwartz, B.D. (1993). On explicit and negative data effecting and affecting competence and linguistic behavior. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 15, 147-163.
  • Scott, V.M. (1989). An empirical study of explicit and implicit teaching strategies in French. The Modern Language Journal, 14-22.
  • Sheldon, A. (1974). On the role of parallel function in the acquisition of relative clauses in English. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behaviour 13, 272-281.
  • Sheldon, A. (1977). On strategies for processing relative clauses: A comparison of children and adults. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research 6, 305-318.
  • Stauble, A. (1978). Decreolization: A model for second language development. Language Learning 28, 29-54.
  • Terrell, T.D. (1991). The role of grammar instruction in a communicative approach. The Modern Language Journal, 75, 52-63.
  • Tezel, Z. (1998). The acquisition of restrictive relative clause configurations in English as a second language. Unpublished PhD. dissertation. University of Pennslyvania, Indiana.
  • Trahey, M. & White, L. (1993). Positive evidence and preemption in the second language classroom. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 15, 181-204.
  • Trahey, M. (1996). Positive evidence in second language acquisition: some long-term effects. Second Language Research,12 (2), 111-139.
  • White, L. (1990). Second language acquisition and universal grammar. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 12, 121-133.
  • White, L. (1991a). Adverb placement in second language acquisition: some effects of positive and negative evidence in the classroom. Second Language Research, 7 (2), 133-161.
  • White, L. (1991b) The verb-movement parameter in second language acquisition. Language Acquisition, 1, 337-360.
  • White, L. (1992). Long and short verb movement in second language acquisition. Canadian Journal of Linguistics, 37 (2), 273-286.
  • White, L. (1992). On triggering data in L2 acquisition: A reply to Schwartz and Gubala-Ryzak. Second Language Research, 8 (2), 120-137.
There are 41 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Journal Section Original Articles
Authors

İdylle Fridman This is me

Belma Haznedar

Publication Date September 1, 2015
Published in Issue Year 2004 Volume: 21 Issue: 1

Cite

APA Fridman, İ., & Haznedar, B. (2015). Immediate and Long-term Effects of Form-Focused Instruction in the Acquisition of English Relative Clauses: Evidence from Turkish EFL Learners. Bogazici University Journal of Education, 21(1), 35-53.