Junior Highschool Students’ Perceptions: Focus-on-Form VS.Focus-on-Forms Grammar Instruction
Subject Areas :shahla heidarzade 1 , Fatemeh Behjat 2 * , Ehsan Hadipour 3
1 - Department of English Language, Shi. C. Islamic Azad university, Shiraz, Iran.
2 - Department of English Language, Aba. C. Islamic Azad University, Abadeh, Iran
3 - Department of English Language, Shi. C., Islamic Azad University, Shiraz, Iran
Keywords: EFL, Focus on Form (F-on-F), Focus on Forms (F-on-Fs), grammar instruction, learners’perceptions,
Abstract :
Introduction: Recent studies suggest that focus-on-form (F-on-F) instruction has a positive effect on EFL students’ language proficiency. However, few have looked at learners’ perspectives on F-on-F instruction, particularly in an Iranian context. This study investigates the students' perceptions and progress towards F-on-F and F-on-Fs in grade eight high schools’ learners of Iran.
Methodology: The present study was a mixed-methods research. In the quantitative phase of the study, two types of variables were involved. The independent variables were F-on-F, reactive and preemptive strategies, and F-on-Fs instruction, and the dependent variables were students’ knowledge of grammar. The quantitative data was numerical based on the learners’ performance in pre-test and post-test after receiving eight sessions of instruction. It included a qualitative phase as well. The qualitative phase of the research was done based on a semi-structured interview that was conducted after the treatment on grammar acquisition of F-on-F and F-on-Fs groups. As the researchers did not have access to the male students, the participants of this study were 60 EFL female junior high school students from Daneshgah Shiraz High school, which is located in Shiraz, Iran. They were at the age range of 15 to 16. To make sure that the criterion of homogeneity is met, the Independent Samples t- test employed to reveal that the two groups were homogeneous.
Findings: The findings show that there were positive attitudes among students towards F-on-F instruction in contrast to F-on Fs in learning grammar tenses. As it was a mixed method research, the results showed significant difference between the effect of the two strategies with the Focus-on-Form group outperforming the Focus-on-Forms group as well.
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