An Experimental Study on the Application of Explicit Interactive Task Instruction to the Teaching of English Grammar 运用

1. An Experimental Study on the Application of Explicit Interactive Task Instruction to the Teaching of English Grammar 运用外显互动式任务模式教授语法的实证研究 By Wu Fang Gannan Teachers’ College, Jiangxi, China

2. Abstract • This paper is an experimental study based on the theoretical research of explicit interactive task put forward by Dai Weidong and Ren Qingmei. The participants in the experiment were 75 first-year students who came from Chinese Department of Gan Nan Teachers’ College. The aim is to compare the teaching effect of explicit interactive task instruction and explicit instruction, interactive instruction. In the experiment, two grammar items were adopted, one is Inversion, and the other is The Present Progressive to Express Futurity. A pre-test and two later-tests were did, and according to the pre-test, 22 students were in explicit group, 22 in interactive group, 31 in explicit interactive task group (experimental group). The Z-test of the two later-tests show that explicit interactive task instruction is superior to explicit instruction, interactive instruction. It is completely identical with the proposal that structure-based interactive task be applied to improve the grammar teaching (Fotos). This paper also points out the teaching enlightenment of this experiment.

3. Ⅰ.The Current Situation of Grammar Teaching in China • There have been many methodologies throughout the ages of foreign language teaching, and many even seem to repeat themselves. This cyclical pattern of language teaching methodologies was called “the changing winds and shifting sands.” • There is still a good deal of current debate on the particular approach that teachers should take in offering grammatical instruction. Four primary issues characterize this ongoing professional discussion: • 1.Should grammar be presented inductively or deductively? • 2. Should we use grammatical explanations and technical terminology in a CLT classroom? • 3. Should grammar be taught in separate “grammar only” classes? • 4.Should teachers correct grammatical errors?

4. In China the teaching of grammar is an area of some controversy and debate. In the grammar teaching classroom, some teachers excessively pay attention to the importance of teaching rules and grammatical structures, however, there are not many grammar rules that can be clearly formulated and • easily taught or learned. Some rules are easy to formulate and some are relatively difficult. Hard rules are too abstract to be described and cannot be applied mechanically. These more difficult rules are not always governed by the immediate linguistic environment and thus are difficult to practice in simple contexts. So the students gradually are not interested in learning English. They negatively accept, process and store the grammar knowledge. They are successful in mastering only small amount of structural forms which are useless in improving their integrative communicative competence. Some other teachers excessively pursue the communicative function, emphasize the notional-function, and totally reject grammar instruction. The method of ignoring structure is as putting the cart before the horse. The result is learners, who in Richard’s words (1985:152) are “successful but grammatically inaccurate communicators.” It is not surprising that a Chinese student can’t express himself fluently and accurately after spending more than ten years in learning English.

5. II. Explicit Grammar Instruction and Classroom Interaction • According to Michael Sharwood Smith, explicit knowledge involves a conscious and analytical awareness of formal properties in language. It facilitates the intake and development of implicit language. It is easier to teach and it helps you monitor language output. • Implicit knowledge shows intuitive feeling for what may be correct or acceptable. It is automatic and easily accessed, and needs to be developed to build communicative skills. Implicit knowledge is seen as a complex network of neural connections that store chunks of language. • Interaction is the collaborative exchange of thoughts, feelings, or ideas between two or more people resulting in a reciprocal effect on each other.

6. III. Methodology • Research Approach • The Setting • Participants and Pre-test • Procedures and Analysis: Step 1: Explicit grammar instruction Step 2: Interactive grammar practice Step 3: Simulate real-life situations The First Later Test The Second Later Test An Evaluative Questionnaire

7. Ⅳ.Data Collection and Analysis • I used Microsoft-Excel to do Z-test, p=0.05. The data collected in the pre-test means there is no obvious difference between three groups. (Z=0.45＜1.96, P＜0.05) • According to later test 1, the Explicit Interactive Task Instruction is superior to the Explicit Instruction and Interactive Instruction ( Z=2.2958＞1.96, p＜0.05 ). After further analysis, we also find out the mean in Explicit Interactive Task Instruction is high than that in Explicit Instruction and Interactive Instruction, while the SD in Explicit Instruction and Interactive Instruction is high than that in Explicit Interactive Task Instruction. The high SD means the scores in this group are not balance, that is to say, some students get high scores, but some get low scores. The low SD means the scores in this group are balance. Nowadays quality education focuses on fair education and balanced development, so we should aim to get low SD. • According to later test 2, the Explicit Interactive Task Instruction is also superior to the Explicit Instruction and Interactive Instruction ( Z=2.3140＞1.96, p＜0.05 ).

8. V. Conclusions Based on the results of this limited investigation, we can perhaps draw one cautious conclusion: If we teach grammar for communicative competence, we would be well advised to apply Explicit Interactive Task Instruction in a communicative framework focused on task-based communicative activities. Students may indeed be expected to respond negatively to classrooms where consciousness raising is the sole means of grammar instruction. The proposed model for grammar teaching is compatible with research. Within this model, explicit grammar knowledge will be realized through contextualized language practice in communicative activities.This combination of Explicit Grammar Instruction and Communicative Language Teaching enables learners to attend to grammatical forms and language code to resolve the communication dilemma. I believe Explicit Interactive Task Instruction is the “filler, the glue, the bridge, or the bond”, which can help in facilitating the process of second language acquisition.

9. Ⅵ.Future research • Two aspects are suggested in the future research. • First, there is a great need to design a series of systematic rule-analyzing and conscious learning which helps the learners to consciously focus upon grammatical form. The matter of raising the learners’ grammatical consciousness is multifaceted. • Second, it is necessary to conduct the research of how to help the learners to apply cognitive strategies to systematize the language through posing tasks to be performed or a problem to be solved. It will be a great help to the acquisition of English grammar.