Pondering over Focus on Form and Focus on FormS: Are There “Equivalent and Large Effects”?

Abstract

It is reassuring that Norris and Ortega's (2000) study echoes Long's (1983, as cited in Han, 2004) finding that instruction does positively impact classroom L2 acquisition, provided that appropriate instruction is implemented. This finding serves as a substantial impetus for practitioners and researchers in the field to seek the best possible instructional practices. Norris and Ortega explore Long’s assertion by attempting to differentiate the magnitude of effectiveness of various types of instruction, namely, explicit versus implicit, Focus on Form (FonF) versusFocus on FormS (FonFS), and combinations of the two.