Sample mini-lesson using Input enhancement

Based on:

The integration of focus-on-form instruction with culture-based lesson: Its effect on students’

knowledge on vocabulary, grammar and culture in 2nd- and 3rd-semester French courses

Grim (2005)

Including sample lesson materials

What is input enhancement?

• Used more often in foreign language teaching contexts

• Within a lesson, instructors flood the input with the new form to be learned

• To help students notice that form, the text is enhanced (different color, style, added symbols to enhance meaning)

• Can be used to teach new grammar or vocabulary within a cultural or topical lesson

Hypothesis of Dissertation

• Including input enhancement and planned focus-on-form in content-enriched lessons in lower-level language courses will allow students to notice and learn the forms.

Madagascar

A sample mini-lesson using

input enhancement

Geography

• Madagascar is located in the Indian Ocean near Africa.

• The main language spoken in Madagacar is Malagasy.

• Many people also speak French.

• Madagascar is bigger than (+) California. It is one of the biggest (+++) islands in the world.

• The population is as large as (=) the population of Taiwan.

• The climate and landscape of Madagascar is very diverse.

• The capital is Antananrivo.

• It is the biggest (+++) city in Madagascar.

• Here are a few photos of another city called Toliara. It is not as big as (-) and less modern than (-) Antanarivo.

Climate

• In general, Madagascar is warmer than (+) the US.

• The east coast is the wettest (+++) part of the country.

• There are many rainforests there.

• The West coast is drier than (+) the east coast.

• The driest (+++) part of Madagascar is the southwest. Parts of this region are a desert.

The study’s results

• In this study, the group with the input enhancement (planned focus-on-form) in the input had the highest gains between the pre-test and the immediate post-text on both the lexical and grammatical part of the instruction

• Input enhancement of vocabulary and grammar helps learners concentrate more on the general meaning of a lesson as well as the enhanced vocabulary and grammar

Conclusions

• Input enhancement increases noticing of form

• Enhancement can be textual, visual or physical