1) The study examined the effects of two types of explicit grammar instruction (Processing Instruction and Comparison Instruction) on 135 primary school students learning German. 2) Students who received Processing Instruction, which provided structured input activities focusing on form-meaning connections, performed better on comprehension and production tests immediately after and 3 months later compared to students who received Comparison Instruction. 3) Both groups improved on all tasks over time, demonstrating the benefits of explicit grammar instruction for young foreign language learners.

1. Explicit grammar instruction and the
young foreign language learner
Rowena Hanan
Dr Emma Marsden

2. What?
• Classroom-based study
• Experimental study
Pre-test
Intervention
Post-test
Delayed Post-test
• 135 pupils from 3 local
primary schools
 L1 English
L2 German
• Grammatical feature:
 Masc. acc. article den
 der = subject
den = object

3. Teaching intervention Processing Instruction
Making the correct form – meaning connection
English: Word order fixed (SVO)
German: Case-marking
Word order flexible
Den Hund verfolgt der Mann.
The dog (acc) chases the man (nom).
The man chases the dog.

4. Teaching intervention Processing Instruction
Explicit Information
+
Structured Input activities
Key components:

5. Which picture matches the sentence?
Der Mann verfolgt den Computer.
Processing InstructionTeaching intervention

6. Which picture matches the sentence?
Den Gorilla begrüßt der Bär.
Processing InstructionTeaching intervention

7. Processing InstructionTeaching intervention
Listen carefully to the sentence.
Which picture matches the sentence?

8. Processing InstructionTeaching intervention
Listen carefully to the sentence.
Which picture matches the sentence?

9. Decide which noun fills each gap so that the
sentence matches the picture!
Der _________ füttert den _________.
Processing InstructionTeaching intervention
Hund Mann

10. Decide which noun fills each gap so that the
sentence matches the picture!
Den _________ erschreckt der _________.
Processing InstructionTeaching intervention
Vogel Bär

11. Teaching intervention Comparison Instruction
Explicit Information
+
Enriched Input & Attention to Form
Key components:

12. Der ________ verfolgt den Computer.
Which word fills the gap?
Frau
Mann
Now click on the two words for the in the sentence!
Comparison InstructionTeaching intervention

13. Den Gorilla begrüßt der ________.
Which word fills the gap?
Bär
Pferd
Now click on the two words for the in the sentence!
Comparison InstructionTeaching intervention

14. Explicit Information
+
Enriched Input &
Attention to Form
Intentional practice in attending
to the form-meaning connection
Explicit Information
+
Structured Input
activities
Intentional practice in
attending to the form only
Processing Instruction Comparison Instruction
Teaching intervention

15. Comprehension Production
Written
(time to think)
Sentence Matching Gap-Fill
Oral
(no time)
Act-Out Comprehension Act-Out Production
Metalinguistic task Sentence Reconstruction
Tests at pre, post, and delayed post-test

16. Comprehension Production
Written
(time to think)
Sentence Matching Gap-Fill
Oral
(no time)
Act-Out Comprehension Act-Out Production
Metalinguistic task Sentence Reconstruction
Tests at pre, post, and delayed post-test

17. Sentence Matching task (Written; Comprehension)
A. Der Opa umarmt das Baby. A B
B. Das Baby umarmt den Opa.
SVO Sentence Pair
OVS Sentence Pair
A. Die Mutter verfolgt der Sohn. A B
B. Den Sohn verfolgt die Mutter.

18. Sentence Matching task (Written; Comprehension)
Comparison
Pre
(Week 1)
Post
(Week 7)
D. Post
(Week 15)
12
14
16
18
20
22
24
10
**
**
TotalScore(outof24)
Processing Instruction

19. Comprehension Production
Written
(time to think)
Sentence Matching Gap-Fill
Oral
(no time)
Act-Out Comprehension Act-Out Production
Metalinguistic task Sentence Reconstruction
Tests at pre, post, and delayed post-test

20. Gap-fill task (Written; Production)
Die Tochter fotografiert __________ (the father).
SVO sentence + object missing
Das Auto wäscht __________ (the elephant).
OVS sentence + subject missing

21. Gap-fill task (Written; Production)
12
14
16
18
20
22
24
10
**
**
TotalScore(outof24)
Processing Instruction
Comparison
Pre
(Week 1)
Post
(Week 7)
D. Post
(Week 15)

22. Comprehension Production
Written
(time to think)
Sentence Matching Gap-Fill
Oral
(no time)
Act-Out Comprehension Act-Out Production
Metalinguistic task Sentence Reconstruction
Tests at pre, post, and delayed post-test

23. Act-Out Comprehension task (Oral; Comprehension)
1. Listen to the sentence
2. Act out using the soft toys
• SVO sentence
• OVS sentence

24. Act-Out Comprehension task (Oral; Comprehension)
12
14
18
10
**
**
16
8
TotalScore(outof18)
Pre
(Week 1)
Post
(Week 7)
D. Post
(Week 15)
Processing Instruction
Comparison

25. Comprehension Production
Written
(time to think)
Sentence Matching Gap-Fill
Oral
(no time)
Act-Out Comprehension Act-Out Production
Metalinguistic task Sentence Reconstruction
Tests at pre, post, and delayed post-test

26. Act-Out Production task (Oral; Production)
1. Watch action
2. Produce sentence to describe action

27. Act-Out Production task (Oral; Production)
Processing Instruction
Comparison
12
14
16
18
20
22
24
10
**
**
TotalScore(outof24)
Pre
(Week 1)
Post
(Week 7)
D. Post
(Week 15)

28. Comprehension Production
Written
(time to think)
Sentence Matching Gap-Fill
Oral
(no time)
Act-Out Comprehension Act-Out Production
Metalinguistic task Sentence Reconstruction
Tests at pre, post, and delayed post-test

29. Sentence Reconstruction task (Metalinguistic)
1. Arrange words to make a sentence to describe the picture
2. Explain why that order was chosen
der Vogel verfolgt den Hund

30. Sentence Reconstruction task (Metalinguistic)

31. Sentence Reconstruction task (Metalinguistic)
die Frau schlägt den Computer

32. Sentence Reconstruction task (Metalinguistic)

33. Conclusions
Clear improvement on all tasks
Improvement in comprehension and production
• Written and oral modality tasks
Evidence of ability to use grammatical feature correctly in more
spontaneous language tasks
Demonstrated solid metalinguistic knowledge

34. Conclusions
Is explicit grammar instruction useful
for young learners learning within
the foreign language classroom?
Yes!

35. My supervisor Dr Emma Marsden
Research assistants David O’Reilly and
Anna Capinska
With thanks to …