SSHRC
2007-2010

The sounds, the forms, and the meanings: An integrated perspective on second language teaching and learning

Collins, L. (Concordia University), Trofimovich, P. (Concordia University), Horst, M. (Concordia University), White, J. (Concordia University), & Cardoso, W. (Concordia University)

SUMMARY OF PROPOSED RESEARCH: The sounds, the forms, and the meanings: an integrated perspective on second language teaching and learning

Many language learners take the first steps towards acquiring a new language in a classroom. In Canada, for example, second language (L2) instruction is now compulsory at all levels of the school system. For many adults, meeting personal and professional goals may also require spending time in language classes. However, outcomes in classroom language learning often fall far short of people's expectations. One crucial and often neglected factor contributing to the expectation/outcome mismatch is simply time: language programs typically offer only a few hours of instruction a week within which learners strive to become full-fledged users of a new language. This poses a challenge to researchers and educators alike: How can the precious time spent in language classrooms be used to achieve maximal effect? Are there theoretically-grounded and empirically-supported principles for selecting linguistic content and pedagogical practices to maximize the benefits of instructional time?

Our research response to these questions is that an integrated approach to researching and teaching language – one that takes into consideration the complex ways in which language sounds (phonology), word meanings (lexis), and word forms (morpho-syntax) interact – has great potential for enhancing classroom L2 learning. Connections between these language dimensions are increasingly recognized across different theoretical accounts of language acquisition (e.g. Bayley, 1996; DeKeyser, 2005; Ellis, 2002; van Hout et al., 2003). However, there has been little research into how phonology, morpho-syntax, and lexis relate to one another in successful classroom L2 learning. Teaching materials also tend to treat the three dimensions separately. The multi-dimensional perspective we propose offers a fine-grained perspective on the nature of language learning challenges, guiding choices in both task design (the language content) and task execution (what learners do with the content). We hypothesize that instructional tasks devised to focus on different key dimensions of language proficiency simultaneously (aspects of vocabulary, grammar, and/or pronunciation) may result in more efficient learning; that is to say, the impact of instructional time on language learning may increase.

The research focuses on language learning in two representative contexts: school-based classes for young learners and community-based classes for adult learners. The investigation targets the phonological, lexical, and morpho-syntactic inter-relatedness of two features of English known to be problematic for L2 learners: verb tenses and pronouns. The specific objectives of the research are:

• to determine how complete, reliable, and salient the phonological (sounds), lexico-semantic (meanings), and morpho-syntactic (forms) aspects of these features are in classroom input
• to investigate the impact on learning of a multi-dimensional approach which integrates a focus on the sounds, meanings, and forms of these two features of English

Phase One (analytical-descriptive) will provide a solid understanding of the oral input in which verb tense-aspect and pronouns occur. Phase Two (experimental) will consider the Phase One input profile to test how an integrated focus might enhance the learning of tense-aspect and pronouns. The larger goal is to provide research-based principles for identifying the linguistic content and pedagogical practices that will maximize the benefits of instructional time for L2 learners.

Findings will generalize beyond the linguistic features (tense-aspect, pronouns) and the target language (English), revealing how input factors may shape learners' developing “grammars” and how pedagogy may address them. The identification of potentially effective language learning activities will inform L2 teachers and teacher educators, especially in contexts where attention to language forms is mandated (i.e. Quebec's Réforme de l'Education) but evidence-based guidance on how to do so is lacking.