Focus On Form Across Language Tasks: Exploring Interactions Between Task Complexity, Task Difficulty And Proficiency Level

In recent years, the field of Second Language Acquisition has been witnessing strong interests in the role of formal instruction in second language development. A substantial amount of empirical and theoretical research indicates that certain degree of attention to form incorporated into primarily meaning-focused context can push the development of interlanguage system and thereby facilitate language acquisition. But how to achieve the aim remains an unexplored but fertile area. Based on the information-processing model of language learning, the present paper is intended to explore the effects of task complexity, task difficulty and proficiency level on attention to form and the interactions between them. The results indicate that they all have strong impacts on attention to form. It is implied that attention to form can be generated and altered by manipulating task complexity and task difficulty, which holds out the promise of striking a balance between meaning and form in language acquisition. The implications for material and syllabus design and teaching practice are also suggested.