The effectiveness of spontaneous attention to form

Studies by J. Williams (2001) and Loewen (2005) provide evidence that temporary shifts in attention happen with some frequency in task-based interactions and can lead to learning.

“Studies by J. Williams (2001) and Loewen (2005) provide evidence that this happens with some frequency in task-based interactions and can lead to learning.”

The extent to which learners participate in and benefit from focus on form depends on their L2 proficiency, with higher proficiency learners focusing on form more and benefitting more from it than lower proficiency learners.

“The extent to which learners participate in and benefit from focus on form depends on their L2 proficiency with higher proficiency learners focusing on form more and benefitting more from it than lower proficiency learners (J.Williams, 2001).”

The extent to which learners notice those forms that are focused on during communicative interactions varies according to factors such as whether the form receiving the focus is relevant to the learners' communicative needs and the discoursal characteristics of specific focus on form options, in particular their level of explicitness.

“The extent to which learners notice those forms that are focussed on during communicative interactions varies according to a number of factors such as whether the form receiving the focus is relevant to the learners' communicative needs (J.Williams, 2001) and the discoursal characteristics of specific focus on form options, in particular their level of explicitness (Egi, 2007).”

Both focus on form initiated by learners in learner-learner interaction and by teachers in whole-class interaction benefit acquisition.

“Both focus on form initiated by learners in learner-learner interaction and by teachers in whole-class interaction benefit acquisition (J.Williams, 2001;Loewen, 2005).”