The Role of Visual Enhancement and Awareness in L2 Learning

This study investigated how different types of formal instruction affect the second language looming of English grammatical structure among Korean high-school students. The linguistic focus of the study was English present perfect, which often creates learning problems for Korean learners of English. Subjects were divided into a control group and an experimental group (Enhanced group). The input the subjects in the experimental group received was manipulated by visually enhancing (with highlighting of the target structures in a reading text). Learners' awareness of the rules throughout the treatment period, as well as accuracy of target structures was measured. Results indicated that subjects in the Enhanced group showed higher performance than the control group. Further, awareness of rules that learners developed over the treatment period did not provide any advantage in learning.