Attentional Processing of Input in Different Input Conditions: an Eye Tracking Study

Bimali  Indrarathne; Judit Kormos

Attentional Processing of Input in Different Input Conditions: an Eye Tracking Study

Education

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Abstract

The aim of the study reported in this presentation was to investigate how learners pay attention to target items in written L2 input in different input conditions and as a result how their knowledge of a target construction changes. We investigated this in an eye-tracking study conducted with 100 adult L2 learners. Four experimental groups received different types of input: unenhanced (unenhanced only), textually enhanced (enhanced only), textually enhanced with specific instructions asking participants to pay attention to the highlighted construction (enhanced+ instructions) and explicit explanation of the target construction in addition to enhancement and instructions (enhanced+ instruction+ explanation).

The unenhanced only and enhanced only groups demonstrated a random pattern of total fixation duration (TFD) and difference between observed and expected total fixation duration (DTFD). The enhanced +instructions and enhanced+ instructions+ explanationgroups, however, showed a high TFD and DTFD at the beginning of the exposure. Parallel to this, statistically significant increase in the pre-post test gain score was observed in enhanced+ instructions and enhanced+ instructions+ explanation groups compared to the control and the unenhanced only groups. TFD and DTFD showed a significant correlation with the gain score of enhanced+ instructions+ explanation group and also DTFD with the gain score of enhanced+ instructions and enhanced only groups. The findings indicate that unenhanced or enhanced only input was not effective in improving performance in the post-test. Either specific instruction to pay attention to target features in the input or explicit explanation was needed for measurable gains in knowledge.

Original language	English
Publication status	Published - Jul 2015
Event	11th Annual Conference of the BAAL Language Learning and Teaching SIG The Languages of Language Learning - Edinburgh, United Kingdom Duration: 3 Jul 2015 → …

Conference

Conference	11th Annual Conference of the BAAL Language Learning and Teaching SIG The Languages of Language Learning
Country/Territory	United Kingdom
City	Edinburgh
Period	3/07/15 → …

Cite this

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title = "Attentional Processing of Input in Different Input Conditions: an Eye Tracking Study",

abstract = "The aim of the study reported in this presentation was to investigate how learners pay attention to target items in written L2 input in different input conditions and as a result how their knowledge of a target construction changes. We investigated this in an eye-tracking study conducted with 100 adult L2 learners. Four experimental groups received different types of input: unenhanced (unenhanced only), textually enhanced (enhanced only), textually enhanced with specific instructions asking participants to pay attention to the highlighted construction (enhanced+ instructions) and explicit explanation of the target construction in addition to enhancement and instructions (enhanced+ instruction+ explanation). The unenhanced only and enhanced only groups demonstrated a random pattern of total fixation duration (TFD) and difference between observed and expected total fixation duration (DTFD). The enhanced +instructions and enhanced+ instructions+ explanationgroups, however, showed a high TFD and DTFD at the beginning of the exposure. Parallel to this, statistically significant increase in the pre-post test gain score was observed in enhanced+ instructions and enhanced+ instructions+ explanation groups compared to the control and the unenhanced only groups. TFD and DTFD showed a significant correlation with the gain score of enhanced+ instructions+ explanation group and also DTFD with the gain score of enhanced+ instructions and enhanced only groups. The findings indicate that unenhanced or enhanced only input was not effective in improving performance in the post-test. Either specific instruction to pay attention to target features in the input or explicit explanation was needed for measurable gains in knowledge.",

author = "Bimali Indrarathne and Judit Kormos",

year = "2015",

month = jul,

language = "English",

note = "11th Annual Conference of the BAAL Language Learning and Teaching SIG The Languages of Language Learning ; Conference date: 03-07-2015",

}

TY - CONF

T1 - Attentional Processing of Input in Different Input Conditions

T2 - 11th Annual Conference of the BAAL Language Learning and Teaching SIG The Languages of Language Learning

AU - Indrarathne, Bimali

AU - Kormos, Judit

PY - 2015/7

Y1 - 2015/7

N2 - The aim of the study reported in this presentation was to investigate how learners pay attention to target items in written L2 input in different input conditions and as a result how their knowledge of a target construction changes. We investigated this in an eye-tracking study conducted with 100 adult L2 learners. Four experimental groups received different types of input: unenhanced (unenhanced only), textually enhanced (enhanced only), textually enhanced with specific instructions asking participants to pay attention to the highlighted construction (enhanced+ instructions) and explicit explanation of the target construction in addition to enhancement and instructions (enhanced+ instruction+ explanation). The unenhanced only and enhanced only groups demonstrated a random pattern of total fixation duration (TFD) and difference between observed and expected total fixation duration (DTFD). The enhanced +instructions and enhanced+ instructions+ explanationgroups, however, showed a high TFD and DTFD at the beginning of the exposure. Parallel to this, statistically significant increase in the pre-post test gain score was observed in enhanced+ instructions and enhanced+ instructions+ explanation groups compared to the control and the unenhanced only groups. TFD and DTFD showed a significant correlation with the gain score of enhanced+ instructions+ explanation group and also DTFD with the gain score of enhanced+ instructions and enhanced only groups. The findings indicate that unenhanced or enhanced only input was not effective in improving performance in the post-test. Either specific instruction to pay attention to target features in the input or explicit explanation was needed for measurable gains in knowledge.

AB - The aim of the study reported in this presentation was to investigate how learners pay attention to target items in written L2 input in different input conditions and as a result how their knowledge of a target construction changes. We investigated this in an eye-tracking study conducted with 100 adult L2 learners. Four experimental groups received different types of input: unenhanced (unenhanced only), textually enhanced (enhanced only), textually enhanced with specific instructions asking participants to pay attention to the highlighted construction (enhanced+ instructions) and explicit explanation of the target construction in addition to enhancement and instructions (enhanced+ instruction+ explanation). The unenhanced only and enhanced only groups demonstrated a random pattern of total fixation duration (TFD) and difference between observed and expected total fixation duration (DTFD). The enhanced +instructions and enhanced+ instructions+ explanationgroups, however, showed a high TFD and DTFD at the beginning of the exposure. Parallel to this, statistically significant increase in the pre-post test gain score was observed in enhanced+ instructions and enhanced+ instructions+ explanation groups compared to the control and the unenhanced only groups. TFD and DTFD showed a significant correlation with the gain score of enhanced+ instructions+ explanation group and also DTFD with the gain score of enhanced+ instructions and enhanced only groups. The findings indicate that unenhanced or enhanced only input was not effective in improving performance in the post-test. Either specific instruction to pay attention to target features in the input or explicit explanation was needed for measurable gains in knowledge.

M3 - Paper

Y2 - 3 July 2015

ER -