Input and Input Enhancement
Key Concepts in W Ch.3
- Input
- Interactional input V.S. Non-Interactional Input
- The role of input in SLA
- Comprehensible input
- The approaches for learners to get linguistic data from Input
- VanPatten’s (1996) Model of SLA
- Input-Intake-developing system-output
- Gass’s (1997) Model of SLA
- Input-Apperceived Input-Comprehended Input-Intake-Integration-Output
- Learners must receive, notice, and comprehend input
- Moving forward from SLA theories to in-class instruction
- Input Enhancement and why the input enhancement matters
Input and Comprehensible Input
- Input refers to samples of language that learners are exposed to in a communicative context or setting.
- Comprehensible input: Comprehensible input is language input that can be understood by listeners despite them not understanding all the words and structures in it.
- How can you make input comprehensible in the classroom?
- Follow the grammatical rules as much as possible
- Provide context information
- Notice the listener’s responses and further clarification
SLA Model I
- VanPatten (1996)’s Model:
- The concept of a form-meaning connection
- Form: surface features of language such as verbal and nominal morphology and functional items of language
- Verbal and nominal morphology
- Functional items of language-prepositions, articles and pronouns
- A form-meaning connection: The relationship between referential meaning and the way it is encoded linguistically.
I II III
Input---Intake-Developing system-Output
Working Memory
I: Input processing
II: System change
A. Accommodation
B. Restructuring
III: Output processing
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SLA Model II
- Gass’s (1997) Model of SLA
- Stage 1: Apperceived input
- Apperception: Learners must recognize that there is something out there to be learned.
- Stage 2: Comprehended input
- Learners analyze the input in some way to extract meaning.
- Stage 3: Intake
- Stage 4: Integration
- Stage 5: Output
Comparison of Two SLA Models
- Difference and Commonality
- Commonality:
- Both models illustrate the necessity for learners to receive, comprehend, and notice input
- Underscore the importance of comprehension in SLA
- Difference:
- 1) VanPatten (2003) working memory matters
- 2) Gass’s learners’ active participation in apperception stage and integration stage.
Input Enhancement
- Input enhancement (I-E): Any pedagogical intervention that is used to make specific features of L2 input more salient as an effort to draw learners’ attention to these features.
- Positive I-E highlights the salience of correct forms in the input.
- An example: visual enhancement of a reading text in which targeted form are bolded, underlined, capitalized, or italicized.
- Negative I-E would highlight errant forms.
- An example: error flags which would draw learners’ attention to their mistakes.
- Activities:
- Input flood
- Structured input
- Textural enhancement
- Grammatical consciousness-raising tasks
W Ch. 4
Input Flood
W Ch. 4: Key Concepts
- The effect of input flood
- Meaning-bearing input
- Lots of examples of particular L2 items
- Versatile usage
- Teaching approach
- Lesson plan
- Activity or exercise
What is Input Flood?
Review: input is the exposure learners have to authentic language
When teaching a particular ‘feature of language’ we can ‘flood’ the input into text.
This is used to help the learner notice the feature, without highlighting it for bringing attention to it.
How is Input Flood Carried Out?
Both written and oral input
Written: linguistic feature embedded into text
Oral: linguistic feature embedded into speech or in written input read aloud to students
Which is easier to notice?
Depends on the learner - written may be easier to see
Example of Written Input Flood
Wong, Page 38
Original Version: Many moons ago lived an officer in the Yellow Emperor’s Imperial Guard named Hou Yi. Hou Yi was a skilled archer and his bow, no ordinary weapon, was enchanted. Hou Yi had married Chang E, the beautiful daughter of the River God. Hou Yi and Chang E were very much in love. They seemed happy, but, in fact, they wanted something more: Both Hou Yi and Chang E longed to live forever. -From “Moonbeams, Dumplings, and Dragon Boats” Simonds and Swartz 2002
Flooded Version: Many moons ago there lived an officer in the Yellow Emperor’s Imperial Guard name Hou Yi. Hou Yi was a skilled archer and his bow, no ordinary weapon, was enchanted. Hou Yi had married Chang E, the beautiful daughter of the River God. The day Hou Yi asked the RIver God for his daughter’s hand in marriage, her father was deeply saddened because he knew he would miss seeing her charming face everyday. However, because Hou Yi was an excellent and loyal officer, the River God decided to grant his wish and gave him his daughter. He looked at Chang E lovingly, took her hand, but in fact, they wanted something more: Hou Yi and his wife, Chang E, longed to live forever.
Key Ideas
No ‘set’ amount of exemplars needed for input flood
The more exposure, the better
Keep the meaning of the input
Level of difficulty of the input should stay age-appropriate
GOOD INPUT NEEDS TO BE COMPREHENSIBLE
Pick input that has simple meaning, to put the focus on the target structure
Trahey and White (1993)
Teaching French-speaking ESL learners
Questioned whether input flood would be effective for adverb placement in English
English and French have differences in adverb placement
Trahey and White flooded adverbs for a two-week period
ESL learners were not explicitly taught the rules for adverb placement
Results: helped with students with what is correct, not what is incorrect
Williams and Evans (1998)
Adult ESL learners
Target forms: participal adjectives and the passive construction in English
Two groups: input flood group and the instructed group
Group 1: input flood in series of reading materials
Group 2: input flood, following teaching of target forms and feedback
Results: both groups made improvements in both forms; with participal adjectives, instruction made a difference, however, with passive construction, it did not
Results suggest that target form makes a difference if instruction is needed along with input flood
Advantages of Input Flood
Involves meaning bearing input
Connected to Chapter 3 and how important meaning bearing input is
Does not disrupt the flow of communication or activity
Doughty and Williams (1998) described it as th8e least obtrusive techniques because the learners attention is on the meaningful task
Ideal for meaning based approaches
Ex. content and task based L2 classes
History class on French Revolution
Instructor manipulates reading materials for a particular target form
Easy to use
Just saturate the input with target form
Disadvantages of Input Flood
Implicit
Difficult for instructors to know if they are learning anything
Nothing is pointed out to the learner
It only increases the chance that learners will notice the form
How Do We Implement in the L2 classroom?
As long as there is a form to focus on, then it can be embedded into any materials
Readings, games, activities, etc
Flood with instructions or management agenda
Example
Flood the 2nd person plural subjunctive form.
No limit on the type of input enhancement
Use many techniques at the same time
Bardovi-Harlig and Reynolds (1995)
Explicitly tell them to notice to the forms you are using
Questions about a text can be used to flood a form
Examples included in the text
Focused on past tense verbs
Questions to do after reading focused on that form
Do not have to rely on input alone
Perform focusing activities based on the flood
Remember: Keep Meaning in Focus
Do not lose sight of main goal
To communicate meaning
Do not compromise meaning and authentic communication
To make it meaningful, the learner must do something with the input
Learners don’t just listen and read
Respond to the input in some way
Examples
Take a quiz on content
Answer questions based on flooded input
Perform a task
Reconstruct a story
Draw a picture based on oral directions
Play a game
W Ch. 5
Textual Enhancement
Key Concepts in W Ch.5
- Textual Enhancement
- Definition-using typographical cues
- The role of TE in L2 Context
- Draw learners’ attention to grammatical form
- Moving forward from SLA theories to in-class instruction
- The approaches of using textual enhancement
- The target item is enhanced by visually altering its appearance in the text.
- The Effectiveness of Textual Enhancement
- Sometimes effective
- Partly effective
- Sometimes ineffective
Key Concepts in W Ch. 5
- Advantage and disadvantages of textual enhancement in the L2 classroom
- The ways to implement textual enhancement in the L2 classroom
- Determine the goals of instruction
- Choose an appropriate Form
- Remember to Keep meaning in focus
- Choose a text that is appropriate to the level of your students
- Consider the frequency of exposure
- Consider how you will use the typographical cues
- Remember to keep meaning in focus
Textual Enhancement
- Textual enhancement: Using typographical cues such as bolding and italics to draw the reader’s attention to particular information in a text is known as textual enhancement.
- Importance: draw students’ attention for the important knowledge points.
- Example: enhance the –s on all third-person singular verbs
- She likes reading.
- He plays basket ball.
Pros and Cons of Textual Enhancement
- Pros
- Draw on the provision of meaning-bearing input
- Can be easily integrated into different types of instruction
- Cons
- Cannot guarantee if the learners are learning from enhanced input and make form-meaning connections
- Pay less attention to meaning
Implications of Textual Enhancement in Classrooms
- Useful tool to help draw learner’s attention to specific forms in written input
- Be used as a meaning-bearing input
- An essential ingredient to SLA
- Effectiveness strategies in using textual enhancement
- Emphasize the important forms that requires learners’ attention
- Pay attention the form-meaning relationship
- Be aligned with the goal of instruction
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