The Inducement of Student Errors as a Technique for Teaching Exceptions to Grammar Rules

This study reports a replication of a study carried out by Tomasello and Herron (1988) in which two methods of instruction were compared: The Error Avoidance method and the Garden Path technique. In the Error Avoidance method, or traditional grammar teaching method, grammatical features are taught deductively followed by an explanation of exceptions to the rule. In the Garden Path technique, however, exceptions are taught by inducing the students into producing an overgeneralization error, which is immediately corrected by the teacher. Thus, the two teaching techniques differ in one aspect: the teaching of the exception. Tomasello and Herron (1988) found that foreign language students learn grammatical exceptions better when “led down the Garden Path.” In the present study six grammatical exceptions were taught to two ESL, beginning level, grammar classes. The two classes were instructed using both methods. A quiz was administered the same day each target structure was taught, at the end of class. The present study differed from the original in that it also investigated the teachers’ and students’ instructional preferences, which was carried out through a structured interview and a student questionnaire. The results yielded by this study did not show an advantage for the Garden Path technique. The data revealed that students learned the target structures regardless of the instructional method. Further, the teachers preferred the Error Avoidance method because they felt the Garden Path could easily confuse students. The students, however, preferred the Garden Path technique because they believed it helped them learn exceptions better. The present study demonstrates the importance of learning about our teachers’ and students’ instructional preferences, providing support for the emic vs. etic perspective of research and pedagogy. Further, this study shed some light into what learners do mentally when exposed to various instructional methods. Finally, it emphasizes the importance and value of conducting replication studies.

Thesis Author: Burgos, Karina

Year Completed: 2000

Committee Members: Lynn Henrichsen, Deryle Lonsdale

Thesis Chair: Neil Anderson