Using comparative explicit instruction to teach English present perfect and simple past : a case study of Hong Kong adult EFL learners

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the possible obstacles of Hong Kong adult EFL learners who are confused by the use of the English present perfect and to evaluate the effectiveness of explicit instruction on teaching the English present perfect and simple past comparatively. This case study adopts a qualitative approach and is exploratory in nature. Data collection instruments include 1) performance tests (pre, post, and delayed), 2) questionnaires (pre and post), 3) interviews (pre and post), and 4) classroom observation. The participants are two groups of Hong Kong adult EFL learners. One group consists of 14 participants whose English levels are of A2-B1 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The other group consists of 11 participants belonging to B1-B2 levels of CEFR. The majority of the participants’ L1 is Cantonese Chinese, and one participant of L1 Mandarin Chinese background. The findings reveal that 1) the learners’ lack of metalinguistic knowledge of the English present perfect and simple past and 2) the lack of the present perfect and simple past categories in learners’ L1 are the two prominent factors which hinder Hong Kong adult EFL learners in understanding the use of the English present perfect. The findings also demonstrate that the majority of participants greatly improved their knowledge of use of the English present perfect in the immediate posttest after an 85-minute comparative explicit instruction session. An occurrence of proficiency losses in the posttests was found among individual learners. The comparative explicit instruction (CEI) is highly effective in helping Hong Kong adult EFL learners, particularly the less proficient learners of both learner groups, in understanding the use of the English present perfect.