This chapter presents the conclusion of the study. Afterwards, the limitations of the study are drawn out. Eventually, the theoretical and pedagogical implications are mentioned and based on the limitations implication for future research is proposed.
5.1 Conclusion
This paper was motivated by the interest in dictogloss as a collaborative output task oriented for FonF which addresses the students’ need to attend to form when learning a second language. Its aims were to investigate whether dictogloss task has significant impacts on the students’ grammar competence in comparison to the traditional approach which has often been used at the research site and to explore the students’
attitudes towards dictogloss task.
The findings of this study did indicate that the subjects who received dictogloss task as the treatment showed the significant improvement on the posttest. Clearly, the experimental group outperformed the control group who didn’t receive the treatment.
Moreover, the subjects expressed the satisfaction towards dictogloss task in the current study; however, they manifested their various attitudes towards dictogloss texts and certain dictogloss procedures. The findings did statistically confirm what have been found in other dictogloss-related studies (Alsibai, 2008; Akbari, 2009) that dictogloss task has significant impacts on the students’ grammar competence enhancement.
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n short, dictogloss task proves to be a useful addition in teaching grammar since the ask focuses students’ attention to a lot of linguistic items in. meaningful interaction.
The benefit of the FonF technique used in the study contributes to the effectiveness of form-focused collaborative tasks in general. In these tasks, as pointed in Qin (2008),
‘students’ attention can be drawn to target forms while they engage in meaningful activities” (p. 77). Indeed in this study, the satisfaction with dictogloss task can be concluded with the three following reasons. First, it is not difficult to design this task which meets the needs and expectations of a variety of types and sizes of classes.
Second, it is attractive to the students thanks to its integration and interaction. And finally, in addition to the application in grammar teaching it can be adapted in teaching language skill courses.
5.2 Limitations
The current study is subject to a number of limitations. As mentioned in chapter 3, this study is based on quasi-experimental design which centered on grammar learning in English-for-teenager classrooms by focusing on two intact classes which received different treatments. These two classes were chosen only at the current researcher’
workplace, the two branches in Binh Duong Province. Hence, the sample randomization is impossible on doing the research. It means the control group and experimental group do not have the sampling equivalence. Due to the non- randomization the results are found difficult to be generalized. The second limitation refers to the age of the sample. Since this study focused only on teenagers researchers and practitioners are cautioned not to apply the generalizations from this study to populations’ age that differs from the sample’s in the current study. The next limitation is the syllabus dependability. The experiment on which this study is based is limited to only some grammatical points mentioned in the course book. Hence, it is unsafe if the
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effectiveness of dictogloss task in other structures is generalized. In addition, in this study the language-related episodes where students reflect consciously on the language they are producing were not examined carefully; therefore, the students didn’t make their total attempt to use the target language to discuss on reconstructing the texts.
Although this fact doesn’t have much influence on the results, it still contributes to reduce the effectiveness of dictogloss task in terms of enhancing the grammar accuracy.
5.3 Implications
Based on the literature review and the results the following theoretical and practical implications of the thesis are derived. Implication for further research is presented afterwards.
5.3.1 Theoretical implication
Theoretically, the results of the study have indicated the value of FonF approach to grammar teaching. This approach claims that grammar couldn’t be taught implicitly to affect the students’ acquired language and that comprehensible input is not adequate.
FonF teaching methods are designed to facilitate the students’ noticing of the target language input. The importance of noticing is that, according to Akbari (2009), noticing is a necessary condition for the comprehension, processing, and integration of new grammar knowledge. Moreover, FonF draws the students’ attention to linguistic items in contexts, as they arise incidentally in lessons whose main focus is on meaning.
Dictogloss task, known as one type of collaborative output tasks, is able to realize FonF theory as it encourages the students to work together and produce the forms collaboratively by reconstructing the text presented to them orally. In this way, the
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students are forced not only to use the target structure but also to debate and negotiate the accuracy of language production, which can enhance their noticing of the target language. Indeed, with the significance of FonF theory in grammar teaching the weak points of explicit focus-on-grammar approach and focus-on-meaning approach are completely eliminated.
5.3.2 Practical implication
Practically, dictogloss task has a lot of sound advantages which make it an outstanding option for grammar teaching. A key advantage is that it concentrates on the whole text;
consequently, students are taught with not only sentence level grammar but discourse level grammar. Jacobs & Small (2003) summarized the dictogloss’ advantages as follows:
““When implemented conscientiously dictogloss embodies sound principles of language teaching which include: learner autonomy, cooperation among learners, curricular integration, focus on meaning, diversity, thinking skills, alternative assessment, and teachers as co-learners” (p. 2).
In addition to the above advantages this task can be applied in large-size classes where teachers can give feedback to a limiting number of students. In this task students are forced to work collaboratively to reproduce the original text and thus teachers can give feedbacks to the whole group, not to individual students. However, the feedbacks still benefit everyone in class as each student works on the same task. Furthermore, according to Thornbury, this task can be applied in different levels thanks to “its build- in heterogeneity: different learners, depending on the state of development of their interlanguage, as well as their interest and motivation, will notice different things”
(1997, p. 332).
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§.3.3 Implication for future research
Findings from the study prove that dictogloss task is a successful classroom activity in terms of grammar competence enhancement. In this study owing to the syllabus designed according to the textbook the effectiveness of dictogloss task are explored on the limited number of grammatical points. Hence, more dictogloss research which focuses on other grammatical structures over longer periods of time is needed to carry out to further our understanding of how durable the effects of dictogloss task are.
In similar future studies if possible the subjects should be randomly selected, which means there should be more favorable conditions in selecting subjects who should come from a variety of classes, not only ones in the two intact classes at the researcher’
working place. By doing the randomization the control group and the experimental group will possess the pre-experimental sampling equivalence.
Moreover, as mention in chapter 2, dictogloss task is one type of collaborative output tasks, in which students work in pairs or in groups to reconstruct the text dictated. It will be beneficial if future research includes two experimental groups in order to compare the effectiveness of working in pairs to that of working in groups. The results of the future research will help teachers select the most effective mode of organizing classes during the reconstruction stage in dictogloss task.
Eventually, dictogloss task is described as an integrative task, which means in addition to enhancing the grammar competence this task can be used to improve the students’
skills including listening and writing. Hence, it will be valuable if further studies measure the students’ progress in one language skill such as writing after the.
application of dictogloss task.
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5.4 Summary of chapter 5
This chapter has drawn the conclusion on the effectiveness of dictogloss task as for enhancing the grammar competence based on the students’ performance on the posttest and on the students’ attitudes towards the task based on the responses to the questionnaire. This task has realized FonF theory as during the task students are pushed to produce output cooperatively. Moreover, this task makes the students aware to reflect on and discuss the accuracy of their language use. This is achieved by the interaction process in which the students get collective assistance and support to solve the problems in their language. Thanks to its benefits and simple designs this task can be applied in different class sizes and levels. The results are positive; however, in this study the sampling randomization cannot be employed because of the practical reason.
Moreover, this study merely focuses on grammar points included in the syllabus.
Hence, this lays an influence on the generalization of the study. In order to determine the effectiveness of dictogloss task, hopefully future studies will apply this task into teaching other grammar points and do the sampling randomization.
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