The comparison of the effectiveness of the Observe Hypothesise Experiment and the Presentation Practice Production models on teaching procedural language of circumlocution and stalling devices to upper intermediate EFL students

Abstract

The study presented in this thesis compared the effectiveness of two teaching frameworks: Presentation Practice Production (PPP) and Observe Hypothesise Experiment (OHE). The investigation was conducted in the context of teaching formulaic sequences with pragmatic functions, in this case procedural language for two communication strategies (stalling and circumlocution) to twenty upper-intermediate students enrolled on an International Foundation Programme (IFP) in a UK university. The focus of this study was on the following areas: a) the effect of explicit instruction on productive and receptive acquisition of chunks b) the comparison of the effect of the frameworks to teach the same chunks c) the students’ views on the usefulness of the chosen formulaic sequences and their opinions on the frameworks employed. In order to address the notions in focus, a mixed-methods design was used. First, the participants who were already assigned to two intact classes, completed productive and receptive vocabulary pre-tests, next they received a 90-minute instruction on the chunks (with the use of either PPP or OHE), then they completed post-tests, and after two weeks a delayed test was distributed. The pre-test-treatment-post-test-delayed test design allowed an assessment of the effectiveness of the frameworks within each group and their comparison against each other. The use of questionnaires and focus groups permitted an enquiry into students’ views on the teaching frameworks employed and their attitudes with regards to teaching the chunks used in this study, as well as other kinds of formulae with pragmatic functions. The results revealed that both types of instruction had a short-term impact on the students’ productive knowledge and a sustained effect on their receptive knowledge. However, no significant difference between the effect of each framework upon receptive and productive knowledge of the target forms was found. The qualitative data revealed that the learners were positive towards instruction on formulaic language and emphasised the need for instruction on interpersonal language within the context of IFP. In terms of evaluation of the teaching frameworks, PPP students expressed more positive views on the activities, due to the presence of output practice. The students’ strong views on the place of practice in ELT highlighted the need for defining effective practice in a given context.