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Learner Uptake in Communicative ESL Lessons
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2001
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Second Language LearningTransitory FocusEducationEsl DesignEducational CommunicationReactive FocusClassroom DiscourseLanguage LearningLanguage TeachingTeacher EducationSecond Language AcquisitionLanguage AcquisitionLanguage StudiesClassroom PracticeLearner UptakeLearning SciencesClassroom InstructionForeign Language LearningInstructional CommunicationClassroom LanguageComputer-assisted Language Learning
Incidental and transitory focus on form is examined in this study. Learner uptake was investigated during focus‑on‑form episodes across 12 hours of communicative ESL instruction. Learner uptake was generally high, especially in reactive and student‑initiated focus‑on‑form, and was influenced by meaning‑vs‑form negotiation and episode complexity, demonstrating that focus on form can occur without disrupting communicative flow and that classroom context affects uptake levels.
This article examines incidental and transitory focus on form. Learner uptake was studied in focus‐on‐form episodes occurring in 12 hours of communicative ESL teaching. Learner uptake was generally high and successful—to a much greater extent than has been reported for immersion classrooms. Uptake was higher and more successful in reactive focus on form and in student‐initiated focus on form than in teacher‐initiated focus on form. The level of uptake was also influenced by whether meaning or form was negotiated and by the complexity of an episode. This study indicates that focus on form can occur without disturbing the communicative flow of a classroom and that the classroom context can affect the amount of uptake.