In e na ional Jou nal o Social Science and Human Resea ch
ISSN (p in ): 2644-0679, ISSN (online): 2644-0695
Volume 08 Issue 11 No embe 2025
DOI: 10.47191/ijssh / 8-i11-91, Impac ac o - 8.007
Page No: 9255-9265
IJSSHR, Volume 08 Issue 11 No embe 2025 www.ijssh .in Page 9255
Fo m-Focused Ins uc ion in ESL Classes wi h Emphasis on Tex ual
Enhancemen Techniques: A S udy Among Seconda y Le el S uden s
Na az, A.M.M.1, Sasni Se o, A2
1,2Depa men o ELT, Sou h Eas e n Uni e si y o S i Lanka
ABSTRACT: This s udy explo es he ole o o m- ocused ins uc ion in ESL class ooms, wi h pa icula emphasis on ex ual
enhancemen echniques among seconda y-le el s uden s. The esea ch aims o assess he impac o ex ual enhancemen echniques
on g amma lea ning and examine lea ne s’ a i udes and belie s owa d g amma ins uc ion. A mixed-me hods app oach was
adop ed, combining bo h quan i a i e and quali a i e da a. The p ima y ins umen s o da a collec ion included a p e es –pos es
design o wo g oups, a ques ionnai e, and a ocus g oup discussion. Da a we e analyzed using a pai ed-sample - es and one-way
ANOVA in SPSS. The indings e ealed ha ex ual enhancemen echniques had a signi ican posi i e e ec on g amma lea ning
ou comes. The p- alue o he expe imen al g oup was lowe han he alpha le el, con i ming he e ec i eness o he in e en ion.
Addi ionally, da a om he ques ionnai e indica ed ha s uden s held posi i e a i udes owa d g amma lea ning, ecognizing he
impo ance o g amma , i s ele ance o u u e communica ion, and he challenges hey ace in g amma lessons. S uden s also
exp essed a p e e ence o g amma ins uc ion suppo ed by ex ual enhancemen echniques. The s udy concludes ha ex ual
enhancemen echniques a e e ec i e in imp o ing g amma lea ning and os e ing posi i e lea ne a i udes. I ecommends ha
u u e esea ch should u he in es iga e o he inpu enhancemen echniques wi hin he S i Lankan ESL con ex .
KEYWORDS: o m- ocused ins uc ion, inpu enhancemen , ex ual enhancemen echniques, s uden s’ a i udes, S i Lankan
con ex
1. INTRODUCTION
Language lea ning is one o he mos cap i a ing aspec s o human de elopmen , as i e lec s how humans pe cei e and comp ehend
linguis ic sys ems. The acquisi ion o a i s language among child en ollows ema kably simila de elopmen al sequences ac oss
cul u es. Fo e ec i e language lea ning o occu , lea ne s mus ecei e meaning ul and comp ehensible inpu . Acco ding o
K ashen’s Inpu Hypo hesis (1985), language acquisi ion akes place when lea ne s a e exposed o comp ehensible inpu ha sligh ly
exceeds hei cu en le el o compe ence. As K ashen (1991) u he asse ed, he g ea e he exposu e o comp ehensible inpu ,
he highe he le el o language p o iciency achie ed.
Cons uc i e language lea ning depends g ea ly on he eliabili y and cla i y o he inpu . Accu a e ou pu , e ec i e e o co ec ion,
and skill de elopmen all equi e lucid inpu . Wi hin his amewo k, he Focus on Fo m App oach emphasizes d awing lea ne s’
a en ion o speci ic linguis ic ea u es h ough a ious implici o explici echniques. To achie e success ul g amma ins uc ion,
i is essen ial ha lea ne s clea ly no ice and unde s and he o ms hey a e lea ning. Consequen ly, inpu enhancemen becomes a
c ucial pedagogical s a egy.
Sha wood Smi h (1993) in oduced Inpu Enhancemen (IE) as a o m- ocused echnique designed o make linguis ic o ms mo e
salien o lea ne s. Inpu enhancemen can be applied h ough bo h au al and w i en modes. When applied o w i en inpu , i is
o en achie ed h ough Tex ual Enhancemen Techniques (TET) such as bolding, colo -coding, unde lining, capi aliza ion, o
i alicizing o isually highligh a ge o ms and acili a e no icing (Nassaji & Fo os, 2011).
In he S i Lankan con ex , he e ec i eness o English Language Teaching (ELT) has been in luenced by a ange o ac o s,
including class oom- ela ed challenges, poli ical cons ain s, and socio-economic condi ions. Se e al s udies ha e iden i ied key
easons o he pe sis en weaknesses in ELT wi hin S i Lankan schools. These include he manda o y use o p esc ibed ex books,
he lack o emphasis on English esul s in he G.C.E. (O/L) examina ion o ad ancemen o he Ad anced Le el, and gene ally
ou da ed o inadequa e eaching me hodologies (Aloysius, 2015).
Solangaa achchi (2023) no ed ha he eaching me hods and ins uc ional ma e ials used in many schools a e insu icien o imp o e
s uden s’ language pe o mance. A majo i y o s uden s (65%) in he Gampaha Dis ic epo ed di icul ies wi h g amma and
ocabula y. Acco ding o he Depa men o Examina ions (2023), 29% o s uden s ailed he English subjec , while 28% ecei ed
Fo m-Focused Ins uc ion in ESL Classes wi h Emphasis on Tex ual Enhancemen Techniques: A S udy Among
Seconda y Le el S uden s
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only an o dina y pass. These s a is ics indica e ha , despi e lea ning English om G ade 3 onwa d, many s uden s a e unable o
achie e sa is ac o y ou comes in public examina ions.
Fu he mo e, compa a i e da a om 2010 o 2020 e eal ha he English language pass a e in he G.C.E. (O/L) examina ion
consis en ly lags behind o he co e subjec s such as Ma hema ics, Science, and Fi s Languages (Tamil and Sinhala). This si ua ion
unde sco es a conce ning end: e en a e comple ing seconda y educa ion and en e ing highe educa ion, many s uden s con inue
o s uggle wi h undamen al g amma concep s.
Solangaa achchi (2023) emphasized he need o new pedagogical imp o emen s in he S i Lankan subjec cu iculum. A solid
unde s anding o g amma is undamen al o s uden s’ academic success and linguis ic accu acy. In S i Lanka, language lea ning is
closely associa ed wi h he mas e y o linguis ic o ms, pa icula ly g amma . In ecen yea s, wi h he g owing ecogni ion o he
impo ance o English, school ins uc ion has inc easingly p io i ized eading and w i ing skills. Mos s uden s, howe e , a e
ins umen ally mo i a ed o lea n English, wi h hei p ima y objec i e being o achie e high examina ion esul s.
Since mos examina ion ques ions in S i Lanka a e g amma -based, ESL class ooms ha e become p edominan ly ocused on o m-
ocused ins uc ion (FFI). Consequen ly, he e is a p essing need o iden i y e ec i e app oaches o eaching g amma wi hin his
amewo k. This s udy in es iga es he impac o TET as an ins uc ional s a egy wi hin o m- ocused ins uc ion, ecognizing i s
po en ial signi icance in he S i Lankan school con ex .
The esea ch ocuses on examining how TET can enhance s uden s’ g amma ical pe o mance. While his echnique has been
explo ed in a ious con ex s globally, he p esen s udy was conduc ed in a go e nmen school loca ed in he Ampa a Dis ic o he
Eas e n P o ince, ep esen ing a ypical S i Lankan ESL class oom se ing. By e alua ing he impac o TET in o m- ocused
ins uc ion and explo ing s uden s’ pe cep ions o g amma lea ning and TET, his s udy seeks o con ibu e o imp o ing g amma
pedagogy in S i Lankan schools.
To achie e hese objec i es, he s udy was guided by he ollowing esea ch ques ions:
1. RQ1: Wha a e he lea ne s’ a i udes owa d lea ning g amma ?
2. RQ2: Wha impac does he Tex ual Enhancemen Technique ha e on lea ning g amma ?
3. RQ3: How do lea ne s pe cei e he Tex ual Enhancemen Technique in g amma lea ning?
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Teaching G amma
Zhang (2009) desc ibes g amma knowledge as an in eg al componen o communica i e compe ence. G amma in ol es wo majo
aspec s: p ocess and p oduc . The p ocess e e s o how g amma is lea ned, while he p oduc ep esen s he ou come o ha
lea ning. These wo dimensions a e dis inc bu in e connec ed. The esul s o g amma lea ning can be obse ed in eal-li e
communica ion; he e o e, g amma ins uc ion should e lec p ac ical usage. Simila ly, U (2012) asse s ha g amma , along wi h
syn ax and ocabula y, con ibu es o con eying speci ic meanings in communica i e si ua ions. The concep o “ eaching g amma ”
ypically emphasizes a ocus on o m, which is associa ed wi h accu acy in language use.
Ju (2010) epo ed ha ask-based language lea ning was in oduced in o he Chinese cu iculum in 2001, gi ing signi ican a en ion
o g amma eaching a he junio seconda y le el. The p esc ibed ex books in eg a e bo h deduc i e and induc i e app oaches. Ju
u he no ed ha G amma -T ansla ion Me hod (GTM) ac i i ies a e absen om he ex books; ins ead, he “ ead and w i e”
exe cises a e he mos common examples o deduc i e asks. Howe e , he also highligh ed ha GTM s ill pe sis s in many English
eache s’ belie s and class oom p ac ices, e ealing i s deep- oo ed p esence in pedagogical hinking.
Ma zban and Mokhbe i (2012) examined he s a us o g amma eaching in No wegian schools. Acco ding o hei indings, eache s
do no s ic ly use explici g amma ins uc ion h oughou he syllabus. Ins ead, hey combine implici and explici eaching
s a egies. Teache s who a o he implici app oach emphasize communica ion as he p ima y goal o language lea ning, aligning
hei p ac ice wi h Communica i e Language Teaching (CLT). The s udy also e ealed ha No wegian eache s do no adhe e o a
sys ema ic me hod; howe e , he wo dominan app oaches in cu en p ac ice a e he adi ional app oach and CLT. Mos eache s
epo edly p e e he CLT app oach as i p io i izes communica ion o e ule memo iza ion.
In he S i Lankan con ex , Na az and Sama (2017) conduc ed a s udy o explo e eache s’ and s uden s’ pe spec i es on g amma
eaching and lea ning in Ampa a. The indings indica ed ha mos s uden s lea ned g amma h ough examples, demons a ing a
p e e ence o he induc i e app oach. Howe e , s uden s lacked awa eness o how g amma lea ning ela es o o he language
skills. Teache s epo ed employing di e en models in g amma ins uc ion, including he PPP model (P esen a ion, P ac ice, and
P oduc ion) and he 5E Model (Engage, Explo e, Explain, Ex end, and E alua e). None heless, he s udy e ealed ha many eache s
possessed limi ed unde s anding o he induc i e and deduc i e me hods. Consequen ly, hey p ima ily depended on ex books as
hei main eaching esou ce.
CBA (Con en -Based App oach) and PPP (P esen a ion, P ac ice, and P oduc ion) models a e commonly used in eaching g amma
in S i Lanka. Howe e , eache s end o p e e he Communica i e Language Teaching (CLT) app oach when eaching g amma .
Mos eache s adop mo e han one app oach depending on lea ne s’ needs, in elligence, cu en language compe ency, and he
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Seconda y Le el S uden s
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expec ed lea ning ou comes. Al hough eache s o en spend a conside able amoun o ime on he p esen a ion s age, explici
g amma ins uc ion con inues o domina e g amma eaching p ac ices in S i Lankan schools. Fu he mo e, when conside ing
deduc i e and induc i e me hods o g amma ins uc ion, combining bo h app oaches is gene ally ega ded as he mos e ec i e
s a egy (Gunawa dena, 2011).
Con e sely, Na az and Kha hoon (2020) conduc ed a compa a i e s udy on induc i e and deduc i e me hods in uni e si ies and
schools and ound ha mos school eache s in S i Lanka a e no amilia wi h hese app oaches. They obse ed ha he PPP model
is gene ally implemen ed in a deduc i e manne , and many school s uden s a e unawa e o he unde lying p inciples o hese
me hods. Mo eo e , school s uden s pe cei e explici g amma lea ning as mo e e ec i e and belie e ha g ea e emphasis should
be placed on linguis ic o ms. Howe e , bo h eache s and s uden s a he school and uni e si y le els demons a e some
unde s anding o he deduc i e and induc i e app oaches. Despi e his, bo h g oups end o a o eaching and lea ning g amma in
a communica i e con ex , which e lec s a p e e ence o he induc i e app oach.
2.2 Explici and Implici Ways o Fo m-Focused Ins uc ion
Takala (2016) desc ibes explici g amma eaching as a p ocess in which eache s di ec ly explain g amma ical ules, o en using
sugges i e ques ions ollowed by examples and p ac ice ac i i ies. The G amma T ansla ion Me hod (GTM) se es as one o he
bes examples o a deduc i e, o explici , eaching app oach. Memo iza ion and ansla ion a e he majo echniques used in GTM,
and he explici explana ion o g amma ules o ms i s co e elemen . Simila ly, he P esen a ion, P ac ice, and P oduc ion (PPP)
model is one o he mos widely used g amma -based app oaches in many L2 class ooms. This model comp ises h ee s ages: he
p esen a ion s age, whe e he g amma ule is in oduced; he p ac ice s age, whe e lea ne s engage in a ious exe cises and a e
gi en oppo uni ies o apply he new g amma ical o ms; and he p oduc ion s age, whe e lea ne s use he ules in communica i e
con ex s. Howe e , his model has been c i icized o being ime-consuming, pa icula ly du ing he p esen a ion phase (Nassaji &
Fo os, 2011).
Mahjoob (2015) poin s ou ha in implici g amma ins uc ion, eache s guide lea ne s o disco e g amma ical ules h ough
examples and s uden -cen e ed asks. In his app oach, lea ne s no ice linguis ic o ms h ough exposu e and ac i e engagemen —
a p ocess o en e e ed o as he no icing s a egy. This app oach con as s wi h explici o deduc i e ins uc ion and is known as
he induc i e app oach. Empi ical esea ch conduc ed by Saadi and Saeidi (2018) p o ides e idence ha a sys ema ic p ocedu e o
implici o m- ocused ins uc ion (FFI) can e ec i ely suppo lea ne s in acqui ing g amma .
Fu he mo e, in e iews conduc ed wi h s uden s o Misu a a Uni e si y e ealed di e ing pe cep ions ega ding g amma eaching
and lea ning. While mos s uden s acknowledged he impo ance o g amma , he e was a ia ion in hei p e e ed mode o
ins uc ion. Those who a o ed implici ins uc ion belie ed ha g amma ical o ms could be lea ned e ec i ely h ough meaning ul
communica i e ac i i ies, as opposed o he adi ional, ule-based explici ins uc ion, which hey conside ed less applicable o eal-
li e communica ion. Con e sely, some s uden s exp essed a p e e ence o explici g amma ins uc ion, sugges ing ha bo h
app oaches ha e hei own ad an ages depending on lea ne needs and con ex s.
2.3 Tex ual Enhancemen Techniques
Nassaji and Fo os (2011) desc ibe ex ual enhancemen (TE) as one o he inpu enhancemen (IE) echniques. TE in ol es making
speci ic linguis ic o ms mo e no iceable in inpu h ough ypog aphical highligh ing, such as i alicizing, bolding, unde lining, colo
coding, o a combina ion o hese me hods. TE is conside ed a o m o ex e nal manipula ion ha aims o d aw lea ne s’ a en ion
o language o ms isually, wi hou explici explana ion. The eache emphasizes co ec o ms implici ly and sub ly, a he han
di ec ly explaining he a ge ed g amma .
To kabad and Fazila a (2014) conduc ed a s udy compa ing ex ual enhancemen and inpu p ocessing echniques wi h adi ional
ins uc ion in an I anian school. The indings indica ed ha IE echniques, including ex ual enhancemen and inpu p ocessing,
we e supe io o imp o ing lea ne s’ p oduc ion o p esen and pas simple ense. Simila ly, Naha a dani and Mukundan (2013)
in es iga ed he e ec o ex ual enhancemen and explici ule p esen a ion on he in ake o he simple pas ense. In ol ing 93
I anian EFL lea ne s di ided in o h ee g oups (a con ol g oup, a ex ual inpu enhancemen g oup, and a TET plus explici
ins uc ion g oup), he s udy e ealed ha he hi d g oup ou pe o med he o he wo in lea ning ou comes.
Bi jandi e al. (2015) examined he e ec s o unenhanced, enhanced, and elabo a ed inpu on he acquisi ion o English ph asal
e bs. Thi y- i e I anian EFL lea ne s we e gi en six di e en ex s ep esen ing hese h ee ypes o inpu . The s udy ound ha
ypog aphically enhanced inpu was mo e e ec i e han unenhanced inpu in acili a ing lea ning.
Ano he s udy conduc ed a an I anian language ins i u e by Ayiewbey (2013) in ol ed 53 male s uden s o in es iga e he impac
o TET on lea ne s’ abili y o disc imina e speci ic linguis ic o ms. Be o e he ea men , s uden s’ language p o iciency was
assessed, ollowed by ea men sessions using TET. The pos es esul s demons a ed a posi i e e ec o TET on lea ne s’
pe o mance.
Howe e , TE does no always gua an ee posi i e ou comes. Some s udies highligh limi a ions in i s e ec i eness. Megu o (2017)
examined TET in he con ex o lea ning ag ques ions and eading comp ehension. While TET p o ed e ec i e in imp o ing
Fo m-Focused Ins uc ion in ESL Classes wi h Emphasis on Tex ual Enhancemen Techniques: A S udy Among
Seconda y Le el S uden s
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eading comp ehension, i was less success ul in enhancing auxilia y ag ques ions. Despi e his, p e- and pos - es esul s showed
g adual imp o emen in lea ne s’ acquisi ion o do- ag ques ions, sugges ing ha TET’s e ec i eness may a y depending on he
linguis ic o m a ge ed.
This s udy ies o ind a unique way o ocusing on g amma . Also his s udy b idged he gap in disco e ing he clea associa ion
o s uden s’ pe o mance and TET a school le el, highligh ing hese signi ican gaps his s udy can be ound he e ec i eness o
his pa icula echnique in local educa ional se ings.
3. METHODOLOGY
This s udy adop s a Mixed Me hods App oach (MMA), inco po a ing bo h quan i a i e and quali a i e da a, ollowing a
iangula ion mixed me hods design. The sample o he s udy was selec ed using con enience sampling. Acco ding o Denscombe
(2010), con enience sampling in ol es choosing pa icipan s when esou ces o ime a e limi ed, selec ing hose who a e eadily
accessible o he esea che . B yman (2008) u he no es ha his me hod is simple and p ac ical, allowing assessmen based on he
esea che ’s a ailabili y. Based on hese conside a ions, con enience sampling was deemed app op ia e o his s udy.
The pa icipan s we e d awn om a school loca ed in he Ampa a Dis ic , Eas e n P o ince o S i Lanka, unde he Akka aipa u
Zonal Educa ion Di ision. The school is ca ego ized as a 1AB school, and he s udy in ol ed wo O dina y-Le el classes,
comp ising a o al o 61 s uden s. All 61 s uden s we e included o da a collec ion h ough a ques ionnai e, ocus g oup discussion,
and in e en ion. While da a om all 61 s uden s we e analyzed o he ques ionnai e and ocus g oup discussion, only 58 s uden s’
p e es and pos es sco es we e analyzed. All pa icipan s sha ed Tamil as hei i s language.
Da a we e collec ed h ough an expe imen , a ques ionnai e, and a ocused g oup discussion. Quan i a i e da a we e ga he ed using
he expe imen , which in ol ed wo classes: one se ed as he expe imen al g oup and he o he as he con ol g oup. Ini ially, a
p e es was conduc ed o bo h classes. Following his, en in e en ion classes we e conduc ed only o he expe imen al g oup,
using en selec ed ex ually enhanced eading comp ehension ex s.
Bo h ques ionnai es and ocus g oup discussions we e used o collec quali a i e da a. Addi ionally, he p e es and pos es sco es
we e used o s a is ical analysis. Th ee ex ual enhancemen echniques (TETs) we e employed: bolding, i alicizing, and
unde lining, alongside he s uden s’ egula English classes. Meanwhile, he con ol g oup con inued wi h hei egula English
lessons. A e he in e en ion, a pos es was adminis e ed o bo h g oups, and he signi icance o he TETs was e alua ed by
compa ing he esul s o he wo g oups.
Ques ionnai es a e ools designed o ga he da a depending on he esea ch pu pose and sample size. They allow esea che s o ask
di ec ques ions, which helps collec clea and unambiguous da a (Denscombe, 2010). Two ques ionnai es we e designed o his
s udy. The i s a ge ed Resea ch Ques ion 1, which aimed o in es iga e lea ne s’ a i udes and belie s owa d lea ning g amma ,
including hei gene al eelings du ing g amma lessons, majo challenges hey ace, he exis ing eaching app oaches, and he
me hods hey p e e o s udying g amma . This ques ionnai e consis ed o 27 ques ions, logically o ganized in o closed and open-
ended o ma s. I was di ided in o ou sec ions: demog aphic in o ma ion, cons uc s a ed on a scale, op ions e lec ing lea ne s’
p e e ences, and open-ended ques ions. Fo Resea ch Ques ion 3, ano he ques ionnai e was de eloped o examine lea ne s’ a i udes
owa d TETs. I ocused on hei o e all expe ience in eading comp ehension classes, hei a ings o he h ee TETs used, and hei
pe cep ions o he e ec i eness o hese echniques. This ques ionnai e consis ed o h ee pa s: pa icipan in o ma ion, opinion-
based ques ions wi h op ions, and open-ended ques ions. The second and hi d sec ions included a o al o 12 ques ions.
Focused g oup discussion (FGD) is used o gain deepe insigh in o pa icipan s’ opinions and o explo e he easons behind hei
hough s—answe ing ques ions such as Why do people eel ha way? Th ough discussion, a a ie y o pe spec i es and al e na i e
esponses can be elici ed, which may di e om one indi idual o ano he . The exchange o opinions and a gumen s du ing he
discussion can help gene a e mo e accu a e and nuanced indings (B yman, 2008).
To co obo a e he indings o he i s and hi d esea ch ques ions, wo ocused g oup discussions we e conduc ed o collec
quali a i e da a. The i s discussion in ol ed all 61 pa icipan s om bo h classes and aimed o explo e hei belie s and a i udes
owa d lea ning g amma . This session consis ed o six s uc u ed ques ions. The second discussion was conduc ed solely wi h he
expe imen al g oup, comp ising 32 pa icipan s, o examine hei a en ion o o m while using Tex ually Enhanced Tex s (TET).
Key indings om he discussions we e eco ded on he spo .
Be o e he in e en ion sessions, a p e es was adminis e ed o bo h he expe imen al and con ol g oups o assess hei exis ing
p o iciency in he simple pas ense and o con i m he homogenei y o he g oups. The in e en ion, which u ilized TET, was applied
only o he expe imen al g oup. Following he in e en ion, a pos - es was conduc ed o bo h g oups o de e mine whe he he use
o TET had a posi i e e ec on hei lea ning ou comes.
The es pape s designed by he esea che we e e i ied o ensu e hey ma ched he s uden s’ p o iciency le els. This was done by
compa ing he s uden s’ ecen second- e m English sco es wi h he p e es esul s. The Con ol g oup had a mean sco e o 53.41 in
he second e m and 53.76 in he p e es , while he Expe imen al g oup had a mean sco e o 54.17 in he second e m and 53.06 in
Fo m-Focused Ins uc ion in ESL Classes wi h Emphasis on Tex ual Enhancemen Techniques: A S udy Among
Seconda y Le el S uden s
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he p e es . These esul s indica e ha he mean sco es o bo h g oups we e nea ly iden ical ac oss he wo assessmen s, sugges ing
ha he p e es was app op ia ely designed o ma ch he s uden s’ le el.
The p e es included amilia ques ion ypes such as ill-in- he-blanks and mul iple-choice ques ions. The pos es ollowed he same
s uc u e, using 10 selec ed ex s om pas G.C.E. (O/L) pape s, wi h he comp ehension ques ions unchanged. The only
modi ica ion was he highligh ing o he a ge ed linguis ic o ms using bolding, unde lining, and i alicizing o acili a e ex ual
enhancemen .
This expe imen al s udy employed a Mixed Me hods Resea ch (MMR) me hodology, combining quan i a i e and quali a i e
app oaches in a sequen ial design. The s udy p ocedu es we e as ollows:
1. P e es : Conduc ed o bo h he expe imen al and con ol g oups o assess baseline pe o mance.
2. In e en ion: Ten a ge ed sessions we e conduc ed only o he expe imen al g oup alongside egula English classes.
The con ol g oup a ended only egula English classes.
3. Ques ionnai e 1: Adminis e ed o all 61 pa icipan s o in es iga e lea ne s’ belie s and a i udes (Resea ch Ques ion 1).
4. Focused G oup Discussion 1: Conduc ed wi h all 61 pa icipan s in bo h g oups o supplemen he ques ionnai e da a.
5. Ques ionnai e 2: Dis ibu ed o he 32 pa icipan s in he expe imen al g oup o explo e lea ne s’ pe cep ions o Tex ual
Enhancemen Techniques (TET) (Resea ch Ques ion 3).
6. Focused G oup Discussion 2: Conduc ed wi h he 32 expe imen al g oup s uden s o gain u he insigh s ega ding TET.
7. Pos es : Adminis e ed o bo h g oups o measu e he e ec o he in e en ion.
8. Da a Analysis: All quan i a i e and quali a i e da a we e analyzed using SPSS (S a is ical Package o he Social
Sciences).
FINDINGS
RQ 1: Wha a e he lea ne s’ a i udes owa d lea ning g amma ?
I always unde s and when he eache explains a
g amma ule.
1.6%
27.9%
47.5%
13.1%
9.8%
Cons uc
S ongly
Disag ee
Disag ee
Neu al
Ag ee
S ongly
ag ee
I eel g amma is mo e challenging han he o he opics.
9.8%
23%
49.2%
18%
I was ne e us a ed wi h g amma lessons.
6.6%
23%
47.5%
21.3%
1.6%
I enjoy lea ning g amma in school.
13.1%
26.2%
59%
1.6%
I belie e ha ocusing mo e on g amma is impo an in
w i ing.
3.3%
4.9%
8.2%
29.5%
54.1%
I hink lea ning g amma is help ul o e ec i e
communica ion.
3.3%
6.6%
29.5%
39.3%
21.3%
I I am good in g amma , I will ge be e g ades in my
exams.
1.6%
11.5%
39.3%
47.5%
When I hea he e m g amma , I ge ne ous.
3.3%
16.4%
19.7%
55.7%
4.9%
Al hough g amma is bo ing, i is use ul o my g ade.
4.9%
8.2%
59%
27.9%
I am con iden in applying g amma in w i ing.
6.6%
31.1%
36.1%
23%
3.3%
The eache mos ly uses he adi ional me hod o each
g amma .
4.9%
3.3%
23%
66.9%
I hink being good a g amma will help me in my u u e
ca ee .
1.6%
9.8%
34.4%
54.7%
I eel happy when I cons uc a g amma ically co ec
sen ence.
1.6%
8.2%
27.9%
62.3%
Enjoy g amma classes mo e han he o he sessions.
1.6%
29.5%
32.8%
34.4%
1.6%
I o en p ac ice g amma ou side o my egula class
ac i i ies.
18%
42.6%
29.5%
6.6%
3.3%
I like o lea n g amma on my own.
6.6%
24.6%
18%
29.5%
21.3%
My English language skills will be imp o ed i I ocus
mo e on g amma .
4.9%
6.6%
42.6%
45.9%
I belie e ha di ec ly explaining he g amma is mo e
unde s andable.
14.8%
29.5%
27.9%
13.1%
14.8%
The e should be mo e g amma classes han he o he
sessions.
1.6%
8.2%
13.1%
44.3%
32.8%
I hink ha explaining g amma h ough ac i i ies is mo e
in e es ing.
4.9%
16.4%
36.1%
42.6%
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To in es iga e lea ne s’ belie s and a i udes owa d g amma lea ning, da a we e collec ed h ough a ques ionnai e and a ocused
g oup discussion. The quan i a i e esul s indica e ha a majo i y o s uden s do no enjoy g amma classes: 59.02% o s uden s
ag eed, and 3.28% s ongly ag eed wi h he s a emen ha hey do no enjoy g amma lessons. Only a small p opo ion o s uden s
exp essed enjoymen in lea ning g amma .
Quali a i e da a om he ocused g oup discussion p o ided insigh s in o he easons behind his nega i e a i ude. The s uden s
(ST) epo ed he ollowing:
“Less explana ion and less ime o cla i y he doub s wi h he eache .”
“I don’ unde s and any hing when he eache explains he g amma ule.”
“The eache jus comes in o he class, w i es he ule o a pa icula g amma poin , assigns exe cises, and asks us o
comple e hem.”
“E e y English class is he same. O he sessions and g amma lessons a e bo h he same. The eache jus ollows he
ex book and epea s he same exe cises.”
These esponses sugges ha s uden s’ nega i e a i udes owa d g amma lea ning a e la gely due o insu icien explana ion, lack
o in e ac i e eaching, and epe i i e ins uc ional me hods.
A small numbe o s uden s (6%) s ongly disag eed, a signi ican p opo ion (23%) disag eed, and a conside able numbe (48%)
esponded as “neu al” o he s a emen , “I am ne e us a ed wi h g amma lessons.” This indica es ha an o e whelming majo i y
o s uden s (77%) expe ience us a ion wi h g amma lessons.
Rega ding s uden s’ pe cep ions o he impo ance o g amma o exams, ou esponse op ions we e p o ided: s ongly disag ee,
disag ee, neu al, ag ee, and s ongly ag ee. Ou o 61 s uden s, 17 s ongly ag eed wi h he s a emen , while 36 ag eed ha lea ning
g amma is impo an o achie ing a good sco e. In o al, 53 ou o 61 s uden s indica ed ha hey a e ins umen ally mo i a ed o
ocus on g amma .
Fu he mo e, in mos schools, w i ing skills ecei e mo e emphasis han o he skills, and exams a e also p edominan ly based on
w i ing. The s uden s’ esponses o he s a emen , “I am con iden in applying g amma in w i ing.” Only 6.7% o s uden s s ongly
ag eed, and a mode a e numbe (31%) ag eed. Al oge he , 23 s uden s indica ed ha hey a e no con iden in applying g amma in
w i ing. O e all, 26.3% ag eed, while 36.1% exp essed a neu al o unce ain opinion.
S uden s we e also asked abou he impo ance o g amma in w i ing. The majo i y (54.1%) s ongly ag eed, and a conside able
numbe (29.5%) ag eed, indica ing ha mos s uden s ecognize he impo ance o co ec g amma in w i ing.
Finally, s uden s’ pe cep ions o he impo ance o g amma in speaking we e in es iga ed. The esul s we e simila o w i ing:
21.3% s ongly ag eed, and 39.3% ag eed ha g amma is help ul in communica ion. Only a small p opo ion o s uden s (9.9%)
disag eed wi h his s a emen .
When s uden s we e asked, “Which aspec s o g amma do you ind di icul ?”, a no able p opo ion (49.18%), almos hal o he
esponden s, indica ed ha hey ace he mos di icul y wi h enses. A signi ican numbe o s uden s (18.03%) men ioned
challenges wi h sen ence s uc u e and a icles. This analysis shows ha enses a e he mos challenging aspec o g amma ,
highligh ing he need o g ea e ins uc ional ocus on hese elemen s.
An open-ended ques ion was also asked ega ding s uden s’ challenges while lea ning g amma . Se e al key di icul ies we e
iden i ied, including: bo ing ac i i ies, s uggles in applying g amma ules while w i ing, di icul y emembe ing ules, challenges
in exams, unclea eache explana ions, di icul y applying g amma in speaking, emembe ing ense s uc u es, ecalling e b ypes,
mono onous explana ions, as -paced lessons ha a e ha d o ollow, s uggles in cons uc ing sen ences, and o e all di icul asks.
This ques ion was u he explo ed h ough a ocused g oup discussion, and he ollowing s uden esponses we e eco ded:
“The asks we do a e so bo ing.”
“The eache ’s explana ion is no clea .”
“The eache always comes, asks us o open he book, explains he ule, and gi es he same ac i i ies.”
“Usually, he eache w i es on he boa d and explains, hen gi es us ac i i ies like ill-in- he-blanks o sen ence
ans o ma ion. The e is li le ime o ask ou doub s.”
“G amma ques ions in he exams a e di icul .”
“Applying g amma in essay w i ing is ha d o me.”
“Remembe ing wha we s udied in he p e ious class is ough, so I couldn’ unde s and wha we a e s udying a p esen .”
(T ansla ed om L1)
Mo eo e , 31 ou o 61 s uden s (50.8%) indica ed a p e e ence o s udying g amma h ough hands-on ac i i ies, such as games
and o he communica i e exe cises. This sugges s ha s uden s a o di e se, in e ac i e lea ning me hods a he han he adi ional
eaching app oach. An open-ended ques ion was included o explo e how s uden s expec g amma ins uc ion o be made mo e
engaging and e ec i e. The s uden s p oposed se e al s a egies, including: engaging in mo e g oup asks, discussing a ious pas
pape ques ions in g oups, using wo kshee s ins ead o di ec w i ing exe cises, p o iding mo e examples, inco po a ing
Fo m-Focused Ins uc ion in ESL Classes wi h Emphasis on Tex ual Enhancemen Techniques: A S udy Among
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communica i e asks, emphasizing g amma ules wi h isuals, c ea ing mo e in e es ing ac i i ies, conduc ing a ious exe cises
o each g amma opic, eaching g amma ules h ough games and examples a he han di ec explana ion, placing g ea e isual
emphasis, discussing pape s mo e ex ensi ely, inc easing p ac ice on speci ic g amma poin s, and e ising p e iously augh
g amma in he ollowing class. These s uden ecommenda ions could be implemen ed as much as possible o enhance lea ning.
RQ 2: Wha impac do ex ual enhancemen echniques ha e on lea ning g amma ?
One o he objec i es o his s udy was o examine he impac o Tex ual Enhancemen Techniques (TET) on s uden s’ g amma
lea ning. To achie e his, wo o dina y-le el classes we e selec ed, each comp ising 29 s uden s—one designa ed as he
expe imen al g oup and he o he as he con ol g oup.
Ini ially, a p e es was adminis e ed o bo h g oups o assess hei baseline g amma p o iciency. Following his, he expe imen al
g oup pa icipa ed in 10 in e en ion sessions in which g amma ins uc ion was deli e ed using ex ually enhanced eading
ma e ials designed o highligh g amma ical s uc u es. The con ol g oup, in con as , ecei ed adi ional g amma ins uc ion
wi hou any ex ual enhancemen .
A e ha in e en ion, a pos es was adminis e ed o bo h g oups o measu e any changes in hei g amma pe o mance. The
compa ison o p e es and pos es esul s be ween he expe imen al and con ol g oups p o ided insigh s in o he e ec i eness o
TET in imp o ing g amma lea ning.
Table 4.1 p esen s he comple e s a is ics om he ques ionnai e.
Ini ially, a p e es on he simple pas ense was adminis e ed o bo h he expe imen al and con ol g oups. The p ima y pu pose o
his p e es was o e alua e s uden s’ exis ing p o iciency in he simple pas ense and o e i y he homogenei y o he wo g oups.
The p e es sco es we e analyzed using desc ip i e s a is ics, a pai ed sample - es , and one-way ANOVA. Key measu es such as
maximum sco e, minimum sco e, mean, and s anda d de ia ion we e calcula ed. Desc ip i e analysis showed ha bo h g oups had
an equal numbe o s uden s (29 each). The mean sco e o he expe imen al g oup was 56.66, while ha o he con ol g oup was
53.76. The maximum sco e o he expe imen al g oup was 96, compa ed o 94 o he con ol g oup, and he minimum sco es we e
23 and 15, espec i ely. The small di e ence in mean sco es, along wi h he nea ly iden ical maximum and minimum sco es,
indica es ha he wo g oups we e la gely uni o m in hei ini ial p o iciency.
Fu he analysis using one-way ANOVA con i med his homogenei y. The F alue be ween he g oups was 0.200, and he
co esponding p alue was 0.656. A low F alue combined wi h a high p alue sugges s ha he e was no signi ican di e ence
be ween he g oups p io o he in e en ion. This indica es ha he p e es sco es we e compa able, and any subsequen di e ences
in pos es esul s could be a ibu ed o he e ec o he in e en ion a he han p e-exis ing dispa i ies.
A e conduc ing he p e es and con i ming he homogenei y o he expe imen al and con ol g oups based on hei knowledge o
he simple pas ense, 10 in e en ion classes we e conduc ed o he expe imen al g oup in addi ion o hei egula English classes.
As no ed in he p e ious chap e , h ee TETs—bolding, unde lining, and i alicizing—we e employed. Ten comp ehension passages
we e selec ed om G.C.E. (O/L) pas pape s and ex ually enhanced using he a o emen ioned echniques. All passages we e w i en
in he pas ense, and simple pas ense e bs we e highligh ed using hese ypog aphic de ices. No explici g amma ical explana ion
abou he simple pas ense was p o ided; he classes we e conduc ed as no mal eading comp ehension sessions. Only he passages
and he associa ed comp ehension ques ions we e discussed.
Fo m-Focused Ins uc ion in ESL Classes wi h Emphasis on Tex ual Enhancemen Techniques: A S udy Among
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Meanwhile, he con ol g oup did no ecei e any eading comp ehension sessions and con inued wi h hei ypical English lessons.
A e he in e en ion, he mean sco e o he con ol g oup was 54.17, while he mean sco e o he expe imen al g oup was 64.79.
The s anda d de ia ion o he con ol g oup was 27.605, and o he expe imen al g oup, i was 21.281. The highe mean sco e o
he expe imen al g oup sugges s ha he in e en ion may ha e had a posi i e e ec on he s uden s’ pe o mance.
A deepe analysis o s a is ical signi icance is wa an ed. The pos es sco es clea ly show a no able di e ence be ween he wo
g oups. The mean sco e o he con ol g oup was 54.97, compa ed o 64.79 o he expe imen al g oup. Rega ding he con idence
in e als, he uppe bound o he con ol g oup (64.50) is sligh ly abo e he lowe bound o he expe imen al g oup (56.95). Howe e ,
he lowe bound o he expe imen al g oup (56.95) is s ill highe han he uppe bound o he con ol g oup (64.50), indica ing an
o e lap be ween he in e als. O e all, his demons a es a subs an ial di e ence in pos es pe o mance be ween he expe imen al
and con ol g oups, sugges ing he in e en ion posi i ely in luenced he expe imen al g oup.
Table 4.1 p esen s he p- alues o he con ol g oup (Pos es –P e es ) and he expe imen al g oup (Pos es –P e es ). The mean
sco e o he con ol g oup was 0.414, indica ing a sligh imp o emen be ween he p e es and pos es . Howe e , his imp o emen
was no s a is ically signi ican , as e lec ed by he con ol g oup’s p- alue o 0.805, which is subs an ially highe han he alpha
alue (0.05). This sugges s ha he e was no meaning ul change in he s uden s’ pe o mance wi hin he con ol g oup.
In con as , he expe imen al g oup showed a ma ked imp o emen , wi h a mean sco e inc ease o 8.138 om p e es o pos es .
The p- alue o he expe imen al g oup was 0.000, which is below he alpha h eshold o 0.05, indica ing ha he imp o emen was
s a is ically signi ican . These esul s demons a e ha he in e en ion had a posi i e and signi ican e ec on s uden s’ pe o mance
in he simple pas ense.
RQ 3. Wha do lea ne s eel abou ex ual enhancemen echniques?
When s uden s we e asked abou hei eelings owa d he eading comp ehension sessions in gene al, a conside able p opo ion
(46.9%) epo ed ha he in e en ion sessions we e “ e y in e es ing” o “in e es ing.” Howe e , a signi ican mino i y (40.6%)
esponded as “neu al,” indica ing ha hey did no ha e a s ong opinion and nei he liked no disliked he sessions. In summa y,
nea ly hal o he s uden s ound he sessions in e es ing, while he o he hal we e indi e en .
This ques ion was explo ed u he du ing he ocused g oup discussion. Some o he s uden s’ esponses we e as ollows:
“I was in e es ing because we didn’ ha e o w i e any hing.”
“The ex s we e in e es ing, and we didn’ ha e o w i e he ques ions. So all he ques ions could be discussed du ing class
ime.”
“E e y day, new wo kshee s we e gi en, and in each ex , some e bs we e highligh ed using di e en me hods. I was
in e es ing o lea n e e y day”
“P in ed ex s we e p o ided, so we had mo e ime o ead he ex and comple e he asks in class ca e ully”
(T ansla ed om L1)
Al hough he main objec i e o he in e en ion was no o make eading comp ehension mo e enjoyable, a conside able
numbe o s uden s ac i ely engaged in he sessions.
A ema kable majo i y o s uden s (94%) epo ed no icing he highligh ed linguis ic o ms in he comp ehension passages, whe eas
only a small numbe indica ed ha hey did no . To u he in es iga e wha s uden s speci ically obse ed, an open-ended ques ion
was posed: “Did you no ice any hing in he eading ex s? I yes, wha was ha ?” The ollowing ep esen a i e esponses we e
eco ded:
“Tense.”
“Simple pas ense.”
“I no iced pas ense e bs.”
F om hese esponses, i can be in e ed ha bolding was pe cei ed as he mos impac ul TET, ollowed by unde lining, while
i alicizing appea ed less e ec i e. The pe cei ed e ec i eness o he echniques, om he s uden s’ pe spec i e, can be summa ized
as: bolding > unde lining > i alicizing.
To unde s and he a ionale behind his anking, a ocused g oup discussion was conduc ed. S uden s’ esponses a e p esen ed below:
“Bold was mo e help ul in ecognizing he highligh ed wo ds quickly.”
“All he bolded wo ds could be no iced a i s glance.”
“Bolding clea ly di e en ia es he wo ds om he o he s.”
“Unde lining is also clea o me because he unde lined wo ds could be dis inguished om he o he s.”
“Bolding and unde lining we e bo h mo e s iking han i alicizing.”
“I was ha d o ecognize he i alicized wo ds because he non-emphasized wo ds and i alicized wo ds looked he same.”
“I alicized wo ds and o he s looked simila , so i was necessa y o pay ex a a en ion o no ice he s essed wo ds.”
“All he wo ds looked he same in he i alicized ex .”
Fo m-Focused Ins uc ion in ESL Classes wi h Emphasis on Tex ual Enhancemen Techniques: A S udy Among
Seconda y Le el S uden s
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These indings indica e ha s uden s ound bolding o be he mos e ec i e echnique o d awing a en ion o g amma ical o ms,
ollowed by unde lining, wi h i alicizing being he leas no iceable.
The s a is ics on s uden s’ con idence in using he simple pas ense clea ly show ha he majo i y (56.1%) el con iden when
aking he pos es , while a smalle p opo ion (12.5%) epo ed eeling e y con iden . O e all, mo e han wo- hi ds o he class
(68.6%) exp essed con idence in comple ing a es on he simple pas ense a e he in e en ion. Mo eo e , as e ealed in Resea ch
Ques ion 2, he expe imen al g oup’s pe o mance inc eased signi ican ly.
In he ques ionnai e, s uden s we e u he asked o e alua e hei own knowledge o he simple pas ense. A subs an ial numbe
(40.6%) indica ed ha hey had no iced a mode a e imp o emen . While he s uden s did no epo d ama ic changes, hey obse ed
posi i e p og ess. Addi ionally, 28.1% o s uden s epo ed a signi ican imp o emen , which ep esen s a conside able po ion o
he class.
Rega ding Resea ch Ques ion 1, he main di icul y iden i ied by s uden s in lea ning g amma was emembe ing he co ec o ms
o ules. A e applying TETs, s uden s we e asked abou he e ec i eness o TET in helping hem emembe ense o ms. O he
32 s uden s, 12 (37.5%) s ongly ag eed ha TET helped hem emembe he o ms, while ano he no able po ion (43.8%) pa ially
ag eed, indica ing mode a e e ec i eness.
Finally, s uden s we e asked abou hei o e all expe ience lea ning he simple pas ense h ough eading comp ehension ex s
a he han di ec g amma ins uc ion. The majo i y (60%) a ed he sessions as good, and a conside able numbe (28%) a ed hem
as excellen . In o al, 88% o s uden s epo ed ha hei o e all expe ience wi h TET was posi i e.
The s uden s’ expe iences wi h TET we e u he explo ed h ough a ocused g oup discussion. Se e al esponses highligh ed hei
pe cep ions o he sessions:
“I ne e el ha I was lea ning g amma .”
“I el like a ypical eading comp ehension class. No mally, I ind g amma classes bo ing, bu I ne e ealized I was
lea ning he simple pas .”
“I didn’ eel like I was lea ning any ense, bu while doing he es , I was able o emembe ce ain highligh ed e bs, o
ins ance, said, old.”
These esponses ( ansla ed om L1) sugges ha he s uden s we e able o lea n he simple pas ense indi ec ly h ough eading
comp ehension, wi hou pe cei ing i as o mal g amma ins uc ion.
DISCUSSION
S a is ical analysis e ealed ha a signi ican po ion o s uden s (62.3%) do no enjoy hei g amma lessons in school. Quali a i e
da a in e p e a ion highligh ed se e al key easons o his lack o engagemen .
Fi s ly, he adi ional me hod o g amma ins uc ion, commonly used in schools, was ci ed as a majo ac o . Teache s ypically
ollow he p esc ibed ex books acco ding o he compe ency le el o s uden s. Lessons o en in ol e w i ing ules on he boa d,
wi h explana ions deli e ed h ough he “chalk and alk” me hod. S uden s epo ed ha his app oach eels mono onous and ails
o cap u e hei in e es .
Ano he con ibu ing ac o was he ma e ial used o each g amma . School eache s gene ally ely on ex books p o ided by highe
au ho i ies, which limi s lexibili y in selec ing o modi ying eaching esou ces. While p ac ical cons ain s exis in changing hese
p esc ibed ma e ials, discussions among eache s sugges ed ha supplemen ing he cu iculum wi h addi ional esou ces o
employing al e na i e me hods o g amma ins uc ion could enhance s uden engagemen and lea ning ou comes.
Nume ical analysis e ealed ha nea ly hal o he s uden s (49.2%) ace di icul ies in dealing wi h enses. While s uden s can
unde s and he ins uc ions p o ided by he eache o some ex en , he main challenge lies in emembe ing and applying he ules
co ec ly. This indica es a need o he a ge ed g amma ical o ms o be made mo e no iceable and emphasized, as ocused a en ion
on he o m aids e en ion and p ac ical applica ion in bo h w i ing and speaking. Ano he p ac ical challenge epo ed by s uden s
ela es o examina ions. Many s uden s s a ed ha du ing exams, he a ious enses and g amma ules hey had s udied o en become
con using. In pa icula , applying g amma ical o ms in w i ing asks, such as essay composi ion, was highligh ed as one o he mos
di icul aspec s o exams.
Cu en lea ning p ac ices, domina ed by adi ional me hods, we e also ound o con ibu e o s uden disengagemen . Ques ionnai e
da a indica ed ha a majo i y o s uden s (50.8%) p e e lea ning g amma h ough hands-on, in e ac i e ac i i ies a he han
con en ional me hods. Despi e hese challenges, mos s uden s ecognize he impo ance o lea ning g amma . Quan i a i e analysis
e ealed ha 57% o s uden s ag ee ha g amma is essen ial o w i ing, e lec ing hei conce n o accu acy in w i en
communica ion. Fu he mo e, s uden s highligh ed he ele ance o g amma o hei u u e ca ee s, ci ing be e job p ospec s, he
abili y o conduc p esen a ions, and pu suing highe s udies ab oad as p ima y mo i a ions. A conside able numbe o s uden s also
emphasized he ole o g amma in e ec i e communica ion.
