The Roles of Output in Second Language Acquisition A Case Study of Thai Learners

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Pragasit Sitthitikul

Abstract

A debate in second language acquisition research is whether noticing plays a positive role in the acquisition of the second language (L2). Some researchers have argued that enhanced input, output, negotiation, and attention to form have positive effects while others are doubtful about such claims. In this small-scale investigation, the potentially facilitative effects of output on the acquisition of the English passive form by Thai English language learners was examined. Specifically, this inquiry addresses: (a) whether output promotes noticing of an L2 grammatical form, (b) the relationship between noticing and subsequent production. Two groups of 20 Thai English language learners were placed in an output group and a non-output group, where they read two expository texts which focused predominantly on the choice of passive forms. The output group reconstructed a text after the first reading to provide opportunities for noticing through output, before they wrote a recall summary after reading the second text. The non-output group answered extended questions after the first reading, and wrote a recall summary after reading the second text. The results suggested that the two groups were not different in performance on recall summary, as well as in terms of the level of noticing and accuracy.

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References

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