The Effects of Skill Acquisition–Based Practice on the Acquisition of the English Present Progressive Aspect by Saudi EFL Learners

This study investigates the effects of a Skill Acquisition Theory (SAT)–based instructional approach on Saudi EFL learners’ use of the English present progressive aspect. A total of 24 participants from a preparatory-year program at Jazan University completed a pretest and posttest consisting of forced-choice and speeded fill-in-the-blank tasks targeting the contrast between dynamic and stative predicates. The instructional intervention emphasized the progressive as marking a situation ‘in the middle of an event’ and explicitly contrasted dynamic and stative verb types. Results show clear improvement from pretest to posttest, with larger gains in speeded tasks, suggesting development beyond declarative knowledge toward more proceduralized performance. Error patterns decreased but were not fully eliminated, indicating ongoing learning. The findings support the role of structured practice and conceptually accurate instruction in promoting more stable and efficient use of the English progressive.