CLAD (NI) 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Merrill Swain's Output Hypothesis argues that language production is important because it:
- Replaces the need for comprehensible input entirely
- Forces learners to notice gaps in their language knowledge and test hypotheses (Correct answer)
- Prevents learners from making errors
- Slows down the acquisition process
Correct answer: Forces learners to notice gaps in their language knowledge and test hypotheses
Swain proposed that producing language (output) pushes learners to notice their own gaps and refine their linguistic knowledge beyond what input alone provides.
Question 2: In negotiated interaction, a 'comprehension check' is best described as:
- A formal quiz given after a lesson
- A speaker's attempt to verify that the listener has understood the message (Correct answer)
- A technique for error correction through explicit grammar instruction
- A standardized test administered to ELL students
Correct answer: A speaker's attempt to verify that the listener has understood the message
Comprehension checks are conversational moves (e.g., 'Do you understand?' or 'Does that make sense?') used to confirm mutual understanding.
Question 3: Which of the following is a 'clarification request' in negotiated interaction?
- 'What do you mean by that?' (Correct answer)
- 'Here is the correct answer.'
- 'Please repeat the entire lesson.'
- 'Your grammar needs improvement.'
Correct answer: 'What do you mean by that?'
A clarification request signals that the previous message was unclear and invites the speaker to rephrase or expand, facilitating negotiation of meaning.
Question 4: A second language learner who avoids using certain complex structures because they are unsure of correctness is demonstrating:
- Fossilization
- Communication avoidance as a production strategy (Correct answer)
- Interlanguage transfer
- Code-switching
Correct answer: Communication avoidance as a production strategy
Communication avoidance occurs when learners bypass difficult linguistic forms to prevent errors, which limits their practice with target structures.
Question 5: According to Long's Interaction Hypothesis, negotiation of meaning is especially valuable because it:
- Eliminates the need for formal grammar instruction
- Provides learners with modified, comprehensible input linked to moments of communicative need (Correct answer)
- Ensures learners never make errors
- Replaces peer interaction with teacher-led instruction
Correct answer: Provides learners with modified, comprehensible input linked to moments of communicative need
Long argued that interaction creates opportunities for input modification precisely when learners need it, making acquisition more likely.
Question 6: Which scenario best illustrates 'recasting' as a form of implicit corrective feedback?
- Student: 'He go to school.' Teacher: 'That is wrong. The correct form is goes.'
- Student: 'He go to school.' Teacher: 'Yes, he goes to school every day.' (Correct answer)
- Student: 'He go to school.' Teacher: 'Can you say that again, please?'
- Student: 'He go to school.' Teacher: 'Remember our grammar rule about third person singular.'
Correct answer: Student: 'He go to school.' Teacher: 'Yes, he goes to school every day.'
A recast reformulates the learner's error correctly without explicitly pointing it out, keeping the focus on meaning while providing the correct form.
Question 7: In CLAD instruction, why is 'wait time' particularly important when questioning English learners?
- It gives the teacher more time to write on the board
- It allows learners additional processing time to formulate responses in their second language (Correct answer)
- It signals to students that the question is unimportant
- It reduces the teacher's speaking time to below 10%
Correct answer: It allows learners additional processing time to formulate responses in their second language
English learners require additional cognitive processing time to comprehend, translate, and formulate responses, making extended wait time a critical equity practice.
CLAD (NI) 3
Merrill Swain's Output Hypothesis argues that language production is important because it: