FRENCH 792

SPRING 2005

INPUT ENHANCEMENT: FROM THEORY AND RESEARCH TO THE CLASSROOM

5 credit hours

THUR 3:30-6:18

DESCRIPTION

This seminar examines grammar instruction that works with what L2 learners need for successful second language acquisition: Input. Students will be introduced to instructional techniques that help L2 learners pay attention to grammatical form while also providing them with the comprehensible input they need for acquisition at the same time. These techniques are called input enhancement techniques. The course is not language specific but portfolio activities should be created for the languages that students teach or will teach in the future.

Prerequisite for the course: French/Italian/Spanish/German 801 (or equivalent)

COURSE GOALS

In this course, students will:

• understand the important role that input plays in second language acquisition;
• have a working knowledge of the basic theoretical underpinnings and research findings that motivate the use of input enhancement techniques;
• learn how to critique empirical research;
• become familiar with the input enhancement techniques presented (i.e., input flood, textual enhancement, structured input activities, grammar consciousness-raising tasks);
• know how to implement these different input enhancement techniques in the classroom.

TEXTS

1. Wong, Wynne (2005). Input enhancement: From theory and research to the classroom. Boston: McGraw-Hill. (Required)

2. Reading packet (Required. Available at copy shop at Tuttle Crossing)

3. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Fifth Edition. Washington D.C: American Psychological Association. (Recommended: Available at bookstores in reference section)*

COURSE EVALUATION

Participation and Preparation:	10%
Portfolio Activities:	25%
Presentations:	15%
Research Article Critiques:	25%
Final Project:	25%

*All written assignments must be in APA style.

Schedule

Week One: March 31

• Introduction to course goals
• From Grammar-Translation to Input Enhancement: A Historical Overview of Grammar Instruction (Chapter 1)

Assignment(s) for next class:

• Wong (2005): Chapters 2 & 3
• Reading Packet: Doughty & Long (2003) (very brief)

Week Two: April 7

• Second Language Acquisition Theory, Research, and Real-World Teaching
• Input and Input Enhancement

Assignment(s) for next class:

• Wong (2005): Chapter 4
• Article critique #1: Trahey & White (1993)

Week Three: April 14

• Input and Input Enhancement
• Input Flood
• Article Critique #1 due

Assignment(s) for next class:

• Portfolio Activity #1: Input Flood
• Wong (2005): Chapter 5

Week Four: April 21

• Textual Enhancement
• Portfolio #1 due
• Portfolio Presentations

Assignment(s) for next class:

• Article Critique #2: Textual Enhancement (choose one: Alanen, 1995; Jourdenais et al., 1995; Leow, 1997; Leow, 2001; White, 1998; Wong, 2003)

Week Five: April 28

• Textual Enhancement
• Article Critique Presentation(s)
• Article Critique #2 due

Assignment(s) for next class:

• Portfolio #2: Textual Enhancement
• Wong (2005): Chapter 6
• Reading Packet: VanPatten & Cadierno (1993)

Week Six: May 5

• Structured Input
• Portfolio #2 due
• Portfolio Presentations

Assignment(s) for next class:

• Article Critique #3: Structured Input (choose one: Benati, 2004; Farley, 2004; Sanz & Morgan Short, 2004; VanPatten & Wong, 2004)

Week Seven: May 12

• Structured Input
• Article Critique Presentations
• Article Critique #3 due

Assignment(s)for next class:

• Portfolio #3: Structured Input
• Wong (2005): Chapter 7

Week Eight: May 19

• Grammar Consciousness-Raising Tasks
• Portfolio Presentations
• Portfolio #3 due

Assignment(s) for next class:

• Article Critique #4: GCR Tasks (choose one: Fotos, 1994; Fotos, 2002; Fotos & Ellis, 1991)

Week Nine: May 26

• Grammar Consciousness-Raising Tasks
• Article Critique Presentations
• Article Critique # 4 due

Assignment(s) for next class:

• Portfolio #4: GCR Task
• Wong (2005): Chapter 8

Week 10: June 2

• Some Final Considerations
• Presentations
• Portfolio #4 due

Final Project due finals week