Learner-Generated Focus on Form - Lexical Focus, Retention, and Learner Perceptions

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

  Previous research has shown that learners generate focus on form mainly prompted by a task designed to promote attention to form. The current study investigated learner-generated focus on form with respect to its lexical focus and effectiveness for learning and explored the role of the learner in focus on form in the classroom. Twelve ESL learners’ dyadic task-based interactions were analyzed for instances of attention to form, and tailor-made posttests were created to measure the learners" retention of the forms they focused on. The learners were then interviewed about their perceptions of focus on form. The results indicated that the learners’ difficulty in producing a lexical item was a major cause of focus on form. The overall retention rate was 47.6% with considerable individual variation. Qualitative analysis revealed that the learners’ learning style and goals, as well as task demands, influenced their decision to initiate incidental focus on form and learner-generated focus on form in this classroom had a unique complementary relationship with teacher-initiated focus on form. These findings suggest that learners" active involvement in focus on form in the classroom may help the teacher design and individualize further focus on form intervention tailored to learners" needs.