Processing Instruction and Dictogloss: Researching Differential Effects of Two Modes of Instruction on Learners’ Acquisition of Causatives

Abstract

This study investigates differential effects of two form-focused instructional techniques: Processing instruction and dictogloss. To do so, 56 Iranian intermediate adult EFL learners were randomly selected and assigned to two groups of 28. Processing instruction group (PI) received processing instruction, an input-based instruction, in terms of (1) metalinguistic instruction directed at introducing the causative forms explicitly and succinctly; (2) working on the counterproductive and inefficient input processing strategy and (3) structured input activities. In the second group dictogloss task (DG), an output-oriented task, was implemented in which students acquired causatives by reconstruction two stories collaboratively. T-tests’ results indicated that in the interpretive part of the immediate posttest (DG) group outperformed (PI) group but in the delayed posttest , four weeks after the instruction, (PI) group outperformed (DG) group. In the production parts of both immediate and delayed posttests, (DG) group outperformed (PI) group. It can be said that care must be taken in order to accept the potential benefits of PI on interpretation of grammatical structures. Besides, output oriented tasks can be beneficial both for interpretation and production of some target structures.

Keywords: Processing instruction, Dictogloss, Input oriented instruction