Comparing Playful and Nonplayful Incidental Attention to Form

Current evidence demonstrating the importance of language play in second-language (L2) development rests largely on qualitative analyses of L2 discourse. Although these rich descriptions have illustrated a number of important functions of language play, further study of the phenomenon is necessary to understand its potential to facilitate learning. This article reports on research designed to compare learner recall of items that have been the focus of serious versus playful attention. Forty-four hours of interaction by 16 adult English-as-a-second-language learners in an 8-week conversation class were observed and audio-recorded. All instances in which they spontaneously engaged in metalinguistic reflection or discussion about their language use or knowledge (i.e., Swain & Lapkin's, 1995, language-related episodes, or LREs) were identified and coded for whether this was done playfully (PLREs) or seriously (LREs). Each student received tailor-made tests to assess recall of those items. Statistical analysis showed significantly stronger recall of items occurring in PLREs than in LREs.