[Webinar] The limited effects of instruction in second language acquisition: A way forward

What are the effects of instruction in second language acquisition? Instruction on formal features of language does not affect ordered development and staged development. It is also not clear that instruction on formal features of language speeds up acquisition or affects in any ways ultimate attainment. Current research measuring short-term effects of instruction is mostly biased toward the testing of explicit knowledge. Meta-analyses on the effects of instruction have generated questions/concerns on the nature of the treatments and assessments used to measure its effects. In this talk, the role and effects of instruction in second language acquisition will be discussed, and a way forward to effectively assess the effects of instruction will be proposed. Future research has to make use of measurements that probe underlying implicit knowledge that is qualitatively different from explicit knowledge. The main findings from this research would have important implications for language teaching.

Alessandro Benati is…