Formal Instruction and Language Acquisition: Summary of Research Regarding the Effects of Instruction on Various Aspects of Language Acquisition

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1. Accuracy orders and developmental sequences: Studies show that there is no significant
    difference in the accuracy order in which morphemes are acquired, or in the developmental
    sequences of phrase structures acquired, between students receiving formal instruction and
    naturalistic language learners. (Ellis, 1984; Fatham, 1978; Makino, 1979; Perkins and Larsen-
    Freeman, 1975; Pica, 1983) No Effect. 

2. Acquisition Processes: "The students' instruction-independent learning strategies demonstrate ...
    that the learning process can only be manipulated within narrow limits and that the principles and
    regularities of natural language acquisition must also be considered in foreign language
    instruction." (Felix and Simmet, 1981 in Larsen-Freeman and Long, 1991. p.301) Possibly 
    Positive.

3. Rate of Acquisition: The speed of second language acquisition is influenced by formal instruction.
    The Multidimensional Model (Mesiel, Clahsen, and Pienemann, 1981) "predicts that instruction
    will only succeed in teaching a learner a new developmental structure if the learner is ready to
    acquire it." This is known as the teachability hypotheis. (Ellis, 1984) Clearly Positive.

4. Level of Ultimate SL Attainment: Ellis's research (1989 and 1992) supports that formal
    instruction may have a delayed effect on acquisition. Ellis's study of the delayed effect hypothesis
    shows that instruction "accelerates learning and results in higher proficiency levels even though
    learners may fail to immediately learn what they have been taught..." Probably Positive. 

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