The effect of interaction in acquiring the grammar of a second language

In this paper the effect of interaction between learners of English as a second language during a dictogloss task on the acquisition of the passive form is investigated. Subjects were 34 Dutch high school students in their fifth year of English. The experimental group was given two dictogloss tasks, which consisted in the reconstruction in small groups of two texts read by the teacher (+interaction). The control group was submitted to the same tasks, but this time the students had to reconstruct the texts individually (−interaction). Knowledge of the passive was established by means of a pre-test. After the treatment a post-test and delayed post-test were administered. By means of a quantitative analysis it could not be demonstrated that recognition and frequency of use of the passive differ depending on the degree in which learners are encouraged to interact with each other. A qualitative analysis makes clear that numerous instances of interaction lead to the noticing of passive forms.