Focus on Form in Classroom Second Language Acquisition

by Edited by Catherine Doughty , Jessica Williams

• ISBN13: 9780521625517
• ISBN10: 0521625513
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1998-02-28
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

Traditional language teaching typically results in limited foreign language proficiency. Communicative approaches tend to produce greater fluency, but less accuracy. A potential solution to this dilemma is focus on form. Focus on form respects students' "internal linguistic syllabus," drawing their attention to problematic linguistic features during communicative activities, and thus providing an alternative to methodologies that treat accuracy and fluency separately. This volume examines theoretical foundations, empirical research, and a range of possible pedagogical implementations of focus on form in classroom language teaching.

Table of Contents

1 Introduction

I THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF FOCUS ON FORM

2 Focus on form: Theory research and practice

3 Focus on form through conscious reflection

4 Beyond focus on form

II FOCUS ON FORM IN THE CLASSROOM

5 Getting the learners' attention

6 Communicative focus on form

7 FonF: What kind of focus and on which forms?

8 The role of form-focused tasks in promoting the second language acquisition of children in grade 2

9 The importance of timing in focus on form

10 Pedagogical choices in focus on form