Grammar training as task-readiness in ESL sentence reading: An experimental study of ambiguity resolution in garden-path sentences

Abstract

This study investigates whether a targeted grammar training session enhances English as a second language (ESL) learners’ sentence comprehension, focusing on garden-path sentences as a test of syntactic ambiguity resolution. Chinese ESL learners were assigned to a grammar training group or a control group before completing a self-paced sentence reading experiment. The training session followed a multiple-step progression from simple to complex sentence structures to raise the grammatical awareness in the learners for improving their syntactic parsing skills. Mixed-effects modeling of the data showed that ESL learners with grammar training outperformed those without training, as shown in both comprehension accuracy and reading speed measures. The finding supports the view that form-focused pretask training can direct second language (L2) learners' attention efficiently without overloading cognitive resources, and the notion of task-readiness could be extended from L2 production research to L2 sentence reading. This study shows that explicit grammar instruction brings cognitive benefits to ESL learners, and the experimental method links psycholinguistic research with language-teaching practice.