Implicit and Explicit Instruction in the Second Language Classroom: A Study of Learner Preferences in Higher Education

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Implicit and Explicit Instruction in the Second Language Classroom: A Study of Learner Preferences in Higher Education
Language: English
Authors: Stratton, James M. (ORCID 0000-0002-7255-5545)
Source: Unterrichtspraxis/Teaching German. Fall 2023 56(2):103-117.
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 15
Publication Date: 2023
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Second Language Learning, Second Language Instruction, Preferences, German, Student Attitudes, Teaching Methods, Pronunciation, Vocabulary Development, Stress Variables, Anxiety, Transfer of Training, English, Native Language, Higher Education, College Students
DOI: 10.1111/tger.12263
ISSN: 0042-062X
1756-1221
Abstract: In a recent study, English-speaking L2 learners of German who received explicit instruction made significantly greater improvements in pronunciation and vocabulary than learners who received implicit instruction. Against the backdrop of this work, the present study reports learner preferences and perceptions about implicit and explicit language instruction. Results highlight a general preference for explicit instruction among university students, with implicit instruction reported as a source of stress and learner anxiety. While implicit and explicit instruction both have a place in the L2 classroom, learners reported that explicit instruction helped circumvent crosslinguistic transfer and ease anxiety. Many learners reported the expectation of declarative knowledge as a function of higher education instruction, suggesting that the exclusive goal of communicative competence may be an insufficient target for university language students. This study highlights the importance of explicit instruction in the L2 classroom.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2023
Accession Number: EJ1401763
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:In a recent study, English-speaking L2 learners of German who received explicit instruction made significantly greater improvements in pronunciation and vocabulary than learners who received implicit instruction. Against the backdrop of this work, the present study reports learner preferences and perceptions about implicit and explicit language instruction. Results highlight a general preference for explicit instruction among university students, with implicit instruction reported as a source of stress and learner anxiety. While implicit and explicit instruction both have a place in the L2 classroom, learners reported that explicit instruction helped circumvent crosslinguistic transfer and ease anxiety. Many learners reported the expectation of declarative knowledge as a function of higher education instruction, suggesting that the exclusive goal of communicative competence may be an insufficient target for university language students. This study highlights the importance of explicit instruction in the L2 classroom.
ISSN:0042-062X
1756-1221
DOI:10.1111/tger.12263