ABSTRACT
Processing Instruction (PI) is a type of focus on form instruction that is predicated on a model of input processing (see VanPatten, chap. 1, this volume, and elsewhere). The goal of PI is to help L2 learners derive richer intake from input by having them engage in structured input activities that push them away from the strategies they normally use to make form-meaning connections. This chapter describes in detail the nature of PI. I describe the three major characteristics of PI: (1) explicit information about the target structure, (2) explicit information about processing strategies, and (3) structured input activities. I pay particular attention to the nature of structured input activities because, as is clear from attempted replication research by others (e.g., Allen, 2000; DeKeyser & Sokalski, 1996; Salaberry, 1997), the purpose and nature of structured input activities is not always clear to readers. As part of my discussion, I also examine the guidelines suggested for developing structured input activities as first outlined in VanPatten (1993) and then expanded on in Lee and VanPatten (1995), VanPatten (1996) and Wong (2002a). Of particular interest and critical to PI is the sixth guideline, “Keep learners’ psycholinguistic processing strategies in mind.”
