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Formal Instruction from a Processing Perspective: An Investigation into the Spanish Past Tense
Author(s) -
CADIERNO TERESA
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
the modern language journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.486
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1540-4781
pISSN - 0026-7902
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-4781.1995.tb05430.x
Subject(s) - grammar , comprehension , task (project management) , mathematics education , computer science , verb , psychology , perspective (graphical) , teaching method , linguistics , artificial intelligence , programming language , economics , philosophy , management
The present study extends previous research (VanPatten & Cadierno, 1993a, 1993b) and compares the relative effects of two types of instruction (i.e., traditional instruction and processing instruction) on the acquisition of Spanish past tense verb morphology. Traditional instruction involved grammar explanation and output‐based practice, while processing instruction involved grammar explanation and input‐based practice aimed at redirecting learners'strategies in processing input data. Sixty‐one classroom learners of Spanish were assigned to one of three instructional treatments: traditional instruction, processing instruction, and no instruction. Pretest and posttest measures consisting of one interpretation (comprehension) and one production task were submitted to a Multivariate Analysis of Variance. Results revealed significant gains in both comprehension and production for subjects in processing instruction, while subjects in traditional instruction had significant gains only in production.