Abstract
Does instruction make a difference? Since the 1960s scholars and practitioners have been debating whether instruction makes a difference in the acquisition of language properties such as morphology and syntax. Contemporary theories (VanPatten and Williams 2015) seem to suggest that there are two main positions on the role of instruction in second-language acquisition (see also VanPatten and Benati 2015):
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1.
Instruction does not make a difference; and
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2.
Instruction might be beneficial.
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References
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Appendices
Appendix 1: Input Enhancement—Oral input enhancement
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〇Grammatical form to teach: “Potential” form and its meaning
Task 1:
Prepare Task Sheet 1 as follows and give it to the students.
Read the following sentences to the class and ask the students to mark what each sentence describes; whether “to do” or “can do”.
<Sentences heard by students>
*Underlined Hiragana shows “potentiality.”
Task 2:
Prepare Task Sheet 2 as follows and give it to the students.
Read the following sentences to the class and ask the students to mark whether or not they “can do also” or they “cannot” .
<Sentences heard by students>
*The choice for Task Sheet 2 may be shortened as “me too” or “not me” with a diffident voice.
Appendix 2: Input Enhancement—Textual enhancement
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〇Grammatical form to teach: “Past” form and its meaning
Task 3:
Let the students read Task Sheet 3 where the target form or expressions are highlighted. Let the students find the form and think about the meaning.
*Reference for the teachers:
Last Monday, the university was closed. I slept until noon at home. Then I made Instant Ramen. It’s miso-Ramen. It was delicious. In the evening, I met a friend and we went to Shibuya together. Shibuya is a big town. It was very crowded. There were many people. There were lots of shops. We went to an apparel (clothing) shop. She (friend) bought a cute T-shirt. It was an enjoyable day.
Appendix 3: Processing Instruction—Structured Input Activities
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〇Grammatical form to teach: “May” form and its meaning
Task 4: Referential Structured Input Type
Let students listen to the statements and answer whether the speaker of each statement is “sure” for his/her action or “maybe.” Tell students to put (S) for sure, and (M) for maybe (not sure).
Task 5: Affective Structured Type
Let students select the phrase which completes each statement about your classmate who is sitting next to him/her. Afterward students will find if it is true or not.
*Reference for the teachers:
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A.
On Sunday this week,
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1.
I may go to a beach.
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I may go to a movie in (from) the morning.
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I may stay home.
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B.
As for dinner on Sunday,
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I may eat alone.
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I may eta with my family.
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I may eat at a restaurant.
Appendix 4: Consciousness-raising Tasks
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〇Grammatical form to teach: “Passive” form and its meaning
Task 6: Consciousness Raising Task
Give Task Sheet 6 to the students, and ask them to think about the difference in meaning between Sentence A and Sentence B.
*Reference for the teachers:
A. Mr./Ms. Ssuzuki always praises the students. /B. Taro is always praised by the teacher.
Give Task Sheet 6 to the students and ask them to complete the sentences using their own ideas, and ask them to think about the difference in meaning between Sentence A and Sentence B.
*Reference for the teachers:
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1)
A. Because Mari was asked the way by a foreigner....../ B. Because a baby in the next room cried.....
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2)
A. I was seen....by..... / B. I saw.....................
Appendix 5: Jigsaw Task
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〇Grammatical form to teach: “Stating an experience” form and its meaning
Task 8: Jigsaw Task
Give the students a table. Put them into pairs (Student A and Student B), and let them ask each other the missing information using the question . After finishing Q & A, students share with the class to check whether they understand correctly.
Task Sheet 8
*Reference for the Teachers:
○ is used for having the experience, and × not having the experience.
Appendix 6: Structured-output Tasks
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〇Grammatical form to teach: “Sequence of action” form and its meaning
Task 9: Structured-output Tasks
Give each student a table. Tell the student to write what he/she does after each statement (activity) using . Ask each other questions to find out what the other person does after the activity.
Reference for teachers:
Example: On Sunday I go to a supermarket after a walk. (Lit. taking a walk, then going to the super market).
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On Monday morning,..................................................................after I throw away trash.
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On Wednesday, ...........................................................................after the class.
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On Friday, ...................................................................................after meeting my friends.
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4.
On Saturday, ...............................................................................after hearing the concert.
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Benati, A.G., Basile, B. (2016). Theoretical and Pedagogical Views on the Role of Grammar Instruction. In: Benati, A., Yamashita, S. (eds) Theory, Research and Pedagogy in Learning and Teaching Japanese Grammar. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-49892-2_2
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