Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences Efficacy of explicit teaching and consciousness-raising in IELTS writing (original) (raw)
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An Evaluation of the Role of Consciousness in Second Language Learning
The role of conscious and unconscious processes in second language learning is one of the problems under dispute in applied linguistics. Richard Schmidt argues, in his article: The Role of Consciousness in Second Language Learning (1990), that the notion of consciousness is both useful and possibly necessary in second language learning. Conscious processes are important in second language learning, but unconscious processes should not be neglected in language comprehension and production, both of which contribute to second language learning. He concludes that much more research is needed on learners' noticing, which becomes intake when combined with input, on incidental learning, on implicit learning, and on what learners are conscious of as they learn a second language. This paper presents how Schmidt's theory of the Noticing Hypothesis and L2 conscious processes have influenced other research and aroused many advocates and criticisms. The argument on the role of conscious and unconscious processes in SLL will last and needs more research. This theory lays a new theoretical foundation for constructing the theories of foreign language learning, and provides the theoretical support for renewing teaching ideas, improving teaching methods and learning strategies in English teaching and learning of China. However, whether and how the Noticing Hypothesis and L2 conscious processes are appropriate for English language education in China deserves more discussion and research.
The Role of Consciousness in Second Language Learning1
Applied Linguistics, 1990
This paper summarizes recent psychological research and theory on the topic of consciousness and looks at three questions in second language learning related to the role of consciousness in input processing: whether conscious awareness at the level of 'noticing' is necessary for language learning (the subliminal learning issue); whether it is necessary to consciously 'pay attention' in order to learn (the incidental learning issue); and whether learner hypotheses based on input are the result of conscious insight and understanding or an unconscious process of abstraction (the implicit learning issue). I conclude that subliminal language learning is impossible, and that noticing is the necessary and sufficient condition for converting input to intake. Incidental learning, on the other hand, is clearly both possible and effective when the demands of a task focus attention on what is to be learned. Even so, paying attention is probably facilitative, and may be necessary if adult learners are to acquire redundant grammatical features. The implicit learning issue is the most difficult to resolve. There is evidence for it, as well as for a facilitative effect for conscious understanding, but accounting for implicit learning may entail abandonment of the notion of unconscious 'rules'of the type usually assumed in applied linguistics.
The Role of Consciousness in Second Language Learning
This paper summarizes recent psychological research and theory on the topic of consciousness and looks at three questions in second language learning related to the role of consciousness in input processing: whether conscious awareness at the level of 'noticing' is necessary for language learning (the subliminal learning issue); whether it is necessary to consciously 'pay attention' in order to learn (the incidental learning issue); and whether learner hypotheses based on input are the result of conscious insight and understanding or an unconscious process of abstraction (the implicit learning issue). I conclude that subliminal language learning is impossible, and that noticing is the necessary and sufficient condition for converting input to intake. Incidental learning, on the other hand, is clearly both possible and effective when the demands of a task focus attention on what is to be learned. Even so, paying attention is probably facilitative, and may be necessary if adult learners are to acquire redundant grammatical features. The implicit learning issue is the most difficult to resolve. There is evidence for it, as well as for a facilitative effect for conscious understanding, but accounting for implicit learning may entail abandonment of the notion of unconscious 'rules'of the type usually assumed in applied linguistics.
Efficacy of explicit teaching and consciousness-raising in IELTS writing
This study compares the efficacy of Explicit Teaching and Consciousness-n IELT Writing Task 1 of Academic Module. Forty five IELTS candidates, placed in two experimental and one control groups, participated in the study. Participants of the explicit group were given detailed instructions on all parts of the Task. For the C-R group, participants were instructed to provide reasons why they chose particular grammatical than mere explicit teaching.
This study aims at investigating whether consciousness-raising tasks, used in a communicative learning environment of EFL, can be considered a valid instrument for eliciting explicit learning in that context. Five participants enrolled in the second level of a language course answered a cycle of tasks that intended to teach the use of comparatives. The materials used in this study consisted of a pre-task, consciousness-raising tasks, an untimed grammaticality judgment test, and a self-report questionnaire. Results showed that the instruments used in this research were of a valid nature for eliciting explicit learning. The findings also provide empirical support regarding the importance of consciousness-raising tasks to assist students' second language learning in a communicative classroom environment. Despite being a small scale research, this study may contribute to a greater understanding of the SLA processes within a communicative context and highlight the importance of explicit knowledge learning within a meaning focused approach.
The Role of Consciousness in Second Language Acquisition
Proceedings of the 24th Annual Meeting of the …, 2002
In this paper we argue that in order to resolve the controversy in Second Language Acquisition research concerning whether or not direct instruction is needed for second language acquisition, we need to use a broader sense of 'consciousness' than is used by second language researchers. Block's classification of consciousness into Access and Phenomenal consciousness seems promising. We associate Phenomenal consciousness with explicit knowledge and suggest that explicit instruction is useful. It enhances linguistic competence.
Role of Consciousness in Second Language Acquisition
Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 2011
No concept raises more hackles in second language acquisition circles than consciousness. The role of consciousness in second language acquisition is currently being heatedly debated and should be particularly considered if we are to make progress in understanding how this acquisition takes place. The researchers review the previous empirical studies on the important role of consciousness in second language acquisition (SLA) through stating the views of different authors, philosophers, scholars. Then, the role of consciousness in terms of concepts such as attention, awareness, intentionality, and control comes up for review. These concepts provide growing support for the view that the role of consciousness is vital for second language learning. Finally, it is concluded that conscious awareness of language is necessary if learner wants to use it appropriately. This notion has gained wide support from research findings which state that conscious learning seems to contribute to successful second language acquisition.
2015
Since the beginning of language studies, Second Language Acquisition (SLA) researchers have been searching for effective ways of improving learners’ language skills. This study aimed at investigating the effects of Grammatical Consciousness Raising task on English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ reading comprehension ability. So, two groups of experimental (N=30) and control (N=30) were randomly chosen out of 120 girl learners (chosen by taking part in a proficiency test) in BINT Al HODA High school (first period) EFL learners, Ilam, Iran. A grammar test was the determined instrument for gathering the scores of pretest. The control group followed its routine procedure in English classes. However, the task of using Consciousness Raising grammar was applied for the experimental group members during their English classes as assignment. This experiment occurred in six weeks, twelve forty minute sessions. Then, all students in both groups answered the questions of post-test. The st...
The Effect of Task Repetition and Consciousness-Raising on Iranian L2 learners' Writing Performance
Task based language teaching emerged as a reaction to the form-based methods of L2 teaching to reach more meaningful outputs from the learners. The implementation of tasks in EFL raised several questions of how the quality of the learners' output can be improved in terms of accuracy, complexity, fluency, and lexical intensity (e.g. Bygate, 1999 & Harmer, 2009, among others). The present study aimed at evaluating the possible effects of task repetition with follow-up consciousness-raising activities to enhance the complexity and accuracy of EFL learners' written output in immediate and delayed post-tests. To this aim, 60 lower intermediate learners participated in this study. Their proficiency level was determined by Oxford Quick Placement Test. They were divided into experimental and control groups and performed on a pre-tests. Consciousness-raising tasks on comparatives, superlatives and articles were implemented in the experimental groups and the main task was carried out. A delayed post-test followed within a three weeks interval. The results revealed that applying consciousness-raising tasks led to more accurate writing production in the repeated performance, indicating that merely repeating a task is not enough for creating more accurate writing drafts. However, the data signified that consciousness-raising activities did not increase the complexity load of the written output significantly. Furthermore, such effect lasted within a three week interval. The results are in accordance with the findings of Balegizadeh and Derakhshesh (2012), Finardi (2008), Zohrabi and Abbasvand (2014) and Nosratinia and Roustayi (2014).