GRAMMATICAL INSTRUCTION IN THE TECHNOLOGICAL ERA: INVESTIGATING DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO THE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF ENGLISH IN AN INTEGRATED HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM

Abstract

The main aim of the study is to investigate the contribution of the use of technological resources to teach English as a foreign language (FL). More specifically, the study focuses on the learning of a syntactic structure by means of grammatical instruction provided in two environments: a traditional classroom and a virtual learning environment - the MOODLE platform. A secondary aim is to assess participants’ level of satisfaction concerning the activities implemented in MOODLE. Thirty students enrolled in the second year of the Technical High School Program at a Federal Institute, divided into control and experimental groups, participated in the study. Statistical analyses revealed that participants performed well in the tests for the retention of the syntactic structure. The control group outperformed the experimental one in both retention tests. Results are discussed in light of information processing and SLA theories. Regarding the qualitative analysis, data revealed that, although participants have access to several technological resources, they seem unable to perceive these resources as relevant to FL learning. The study also showed that, in general, participants enjoyed the activities carried out in the MOODLE platform.

Keywords

• Grammatical instruction
• English teaching-learning.
• Technological resources.