Preferences of Omani EFL Learners for Isolated and Integrated Form-Focused Instruction: A Partial Replication of Spada and Lima (2015)

Authors

  • Iryna Lenchuk

    Department of English Language and Literature, Dhofar University, P.O. Box 2509, Salalah 211, The Sultanate of Oman
  • Amer M TH Ahmed

    Department of English Language and Literature, Dhofar University, P.O. Box 2509, Salalah 211, The Sultanate of Oman
  • Shahd Hafidh Baabood

    Center for Preparatory Studies, Dhofar University, P.O. Box 2509, Salalah 211, The Sultanate of Oman
  • Shahla Hafeed Baabood

    Center for Preparatory Studies, Dhofar University, P.O. Box 2509, Salalah 211, The Sultanate of Oman

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i12.11983
Received: 7 September 2025 | Revised: 30 September 2025 | Accepted: 9 October 2025 | Published Online: 21 November 2025

Abstract

This study investigates the preferences of Omani EFL learners for isolated (ISO) and integrated (INT) form-focused instruction (FFI) through a partial replication of Spada and Lima’s study. A total of 150 university students (125 females and 25 males) participated in the study. The participants were asked to complete a validated self-reported questionnaire that assessed their preferences for ISO and INT FFI. The results indicate that a statistically significant preference was observed for INT FFI although learners exhibited a balanced interest in both instructional approaches. Furthermore, the analysis reveals that the variables of gender and proficiency level significantly influenced these preferences. Specifically, female and beginner learners tended to favor INT FFI, whereas male and advanced learners showed a preference for ISO FFI. The findings of the study show that the participants viewed grammar as a communicative resource and expressed preferences for practicing language forms with other language skills and/ or communicative activities. The implications of the study are: (i) the reliability and generalizability of the study conducted by Spada and Lima are confirmed, and (ii) learners' preferences in the methodology and pedagogy of second and foreign language learning must be considered when designing instructional materials, (iii) the importance of timing of presenting language forms to learners in a communicative language classroom is highlighted.

Keywords:

Form-Focused Instruction; Learners' Preferences; Approaches to Language Accuracy Development; Replication Studies in SLA

References

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How to Cite

Lenchuk, I., TH Ahmed, A. M., Baabood, S. H., & Baabood, S. H. (2025). Preferences of Omani EFL Learners for Isolated and Integrated Form-Focused Instruction: A Partial Replication of Spada and Lima (2015). Forum for Linguistic Studies, 7(12), 1506–1516. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i12.11983

Issue

Vol. 7 , Iss. 12 (December 2025): In progress

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Article

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Copyright © 2025 Iryna Lenchuk, Amer M TH Ahmed, Shahd Hafidh Baabood, Shahla Hafeed Baabood

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This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.