The effects of responding to students’ errors and of presenting the semantics of spatial prepositions on their acquisition.

Abstract

Most teachers of English as a Foreign Language agree that a great number of learners use spatial prepositions inadequately, and despite the different techniques they use in teaching them, most learners still consider learning to use these prepositions one of the most problematic issues. This research investigates if using error correction, presenting the semantics of spatial prepositions or using both techniques in combination would help teachers and students at the Department of Letters and English at the University “Des Frères Mentouri”, Constantine, in teaching and learning this type of prepositions. We set the following hypotheses: if teachers use error correction methods when teaching spatial prepositions, students will use them more appropriately; if teachers present the semantics of spatial prepositions, students will better their performance when using this type of prepositions; and if teachers combine between using both error correction and presenting the semantics of spatial prepositions, students will improve their use of this type of prepositions. Two means of research are used: the first is an experiment dealing with a sample of 119 Second Year students divided into one Control Group and three Experimental Groups. A pre-test was administered to the four groups. The Experimental Groups underwent three teaching instructions. A post-test was given to the four groups; subsequently, an analysis of the results was undertaken. Second, a Students’ Questionnaire was handed in to 132 Second Year students and a Teachers’ Questionnaire was handed in to 17 Grammar teachers about their attitude, beliefs and experience with teaching and learning spatial prepositions. The results have not confirmed the first hypothesis, have partially confirmed the second hypothesis, and have totally confirmed the third hypothesis. Based on the obtained results, and with reference to the literature review, pedagogical implications and recommendations are presented. These pedagogical implications and recommendations concern teaching/learning spatial prepositions, using semantics of spatial prepositions, using context of spatial prepositions, and using error correction of spatial prepositions.