Form-Focused Instruction of English Idioms

As the results of exclusively meaning-centered language teaching frameworks have been far from promising, it is now generally agreed that some attention to second language items is necessary in order for acquisition to occur. Therefore, Form-focused Instruction (FFI)is considered to be a necessary component of language teaching contexts where the focus is strictly on meaning. The question to be addressed by SLA researchers is not so much whether attention to form should be provided, but rather what types of form-focused instruction are most useful. The present book provides a review of the research on FFI and then reports a study investigating the effects of explicit and implicit focus on form on the teaching of English idioms. The effectiveness of each type of instruction is discussed and pedagogical implications and suggestions for further research are provided.