Are EFL Learners and Teachers in the Same Camp? A Study on Form-focused Instruction

Abstract

This study reports on findings of a replication study of Valeo and Spada (2015) that investigated thetiming of grammar instruction. In this respect, the frequently discussed issue of isolated and integratedform-focused instruction was reconsidered based on the beliefs of main stakeholders, teachers andlearners. In order to collect data, two questionnaires consisting of 5-point Likert-scale items developed byValeo and Spada (2015) were administered to 651 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners withdifferent language proficiency levels and 42 instructors teaching English to them at a state university inTurkey. The analyses of the questionnaires indicated that both EFL learners and teachers were in thesame camp and they preferred integrated form-focused instruction rather than the isolated one whilethey did not disregard the importance of the isolated form-focused instruction. The findings also revealedthat language proficiency did not play a significant role in EFL learners’ preferences of integrated and isolated form-focused instruction.