A Study Of Application On Output Hypothesis In College English Teaching

Research on second language acquisition has greatly developed since 1970s, considerable theories concerning SLA have mushroomed among which Krashen's Input Hypothesis and Swain's Output Hypothesis are of great influence. Krashen (1982,1985) posits that the learner acquires language by comprehending linguistic input that is slightly beyond his or her level of competence (i+1), but he neglects the role of output in SLA. Whereas Swain proposes (1985) that output does play an indispensable role in successful foreign language learning based on her research on French immersion programs and she further states the three functions of output: hypothesis-testing function, noticing function and metalinguistic function.Output Hypothesis has attracted extensive attention of the linguistic researchers and educators after it was put forth in 1985. Relevant research. has been performed to investigate the role of output in SLA (Swain 1985, 1995; Nobuyoshi& Ellis 1993; Izumi2000, 2002 etc).Based on Comprehensible Input Hypothesis and Comprehensible Output Hypothesis, this study attempts to examine the roles that output plays, effects that output exerts in foreign language learning. The design of the study incorporates both quantitative and qualitative methodology. The quantitative methodology investigates the effects of output as revealed in the posttest while the qualitative methodology revealed by a questionnaire, randomly-selected interviews and students' self reports.To begin with, this study compares two types of instructional treatments with input-based and output-based conditions respectively. The input-based group, termed as contrast group, obtains the treatment of regular reading comprehension while the output-based group, termed as experimental group, is assigned to guided essay-writing in addition to reading comprehension. The treatment lasts for 17 weeks with a section of 100 minutes per week. Immediately after the treatment, a posttest is conducted. And then a questionnaire is administrated concerning about learners' attitude towards the essay-writing and the functions of writing etc. Later randomly-selected interviews with the EG participants are performed. The relevant data are then collected and detailed discussions and analyses are presented. The results comprehensively evidence that language output does play an indispensable role in language learning; that output can increase learners' awareness of the correct use of target language; that output can develop learner's responsibility for their own learning with learner autonomy; and that output does quicken the transforming of language knowledge into language skills more effectively.As a result, the author suggests that focus on the language output practice especially in student-centered classroom setting may be an effective way to optimize the efficacy of English teaching and learning in China and students should be given considerable opportunities for language output.