The online primary and secondary transfer-of-training effects of structured input on the acquisition of English past tense and third person singular present tense markers: A self-paced reading study measuring accuracy and response time

Abstract

This study compared primary and secondary effects of structured input, and traditional instruction on the acquisition of English past tense (primary target form) and third person singular present tense (secondary target form) markers. Participants included sixty-eight school-age learners enrolled in a beginning-level English course. The main findings from this study demonstrated that structured input is more effective on the primary and secondary target forms than traditional instruction when measured by a self-paced reading test (accuracy and response time). Participants exposed to structured input made gains on the secondary target form, and this result indicates a transfer-of-training effect. Theoretical, pedagogical and methodological implications of the main findings of this study are discussed.