Using Hypertext and Case-based Explanation to Help Learners Access Explanations to Unexpected Grammar Forms Encountered in Native Speech Examples

• Main Author: Packer, Kenneth B.
• Format: Others
• Published: BYU ScholarsArchive 2012
• Subjects: hypertext; case based explanation; language strategy; grammar; portability; Educational Psychology
• Online Access: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/3508; https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4507&context=etd

Three hypertext implementation strategies were evaluated against one another and against a control group to determine which best supported the language learner. Each version was also applied to four languages with diverse grammatical structures. These included Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish. Language students were tested to determine how useful each strategy was in facilitating rapid and accurate explanation of grammatical structures embedded in native speech examples. Speed and accuracy were also measured as respondents applied a targeted grammar structure to construction of their own unique sentences. With respect to the four different languages, results were also analyzed to judge whether the hypertext strategies were viable for each language. The strategy iteration that directed learners to a more detailed and specific explanation was deemed to be more successful than those with generalized explanations in assisting language learners. Moreover, the strategies seemed to provide the same relative benefit across the tested languages, suggesting they are portable and applicable even to non-researched languages. Variance in outcomes among languages within this study focus was also strongly correlated to the degree of difference in grammatical structure between a tested language and English – the learners' typical native language.