The Interaction Effects of Language Proficiency and Language Analytic Ability on Explicit Deductive and Inductive Grammar Instruction

This study explored which type of explicit instruction (explicit-deductive or explicit-inductive) was more effective for Japanese EFL learners across different proficiency levels and examined the role of language analytic ability (LAA) in L2 proficiency and learning outcomes.This study also investigated how individual differences in LAA mediated the effects of these two types of explicit instructional approaches.The participants were 82 late learners of English as a foreign language (EFL).They completed a subtest of an aptitude test and a form-focused sentence correction test to measure their resulting performance.The results indicated that explicit-deductive grammar instruction might be more beneficial than explicit-inductive instruction for Japanese EFL learners with low proficiency.LAA had a positive effect on L2 proficiency, but the effects of individual differences in LAA on instructional outcomes were neutralised by more structured explicit grammar instruction in the case of Japanese EFL learners.Follow-up analyses showed that the interaction effect of LAA with explicit-deductive instruction was significant in the low-LAA group.This study highlights the importance of considering the interaction among LAA, language proficiency, and instructional conditions in the design of the most effective learning activities in Japanese EFL classrooms.