Ken’ichi Yamazaki
Abstract
This classroom-based study investigates whether explicit instruction in formulaic sequences (FSs) enhances Japanese EFL learners’ speaking performance. Over a 15-week semester, first-year university students were divided into an experimental group (English B), which received structured FS instruction using model scripts, visual highlighting, guided rehearsal, and weekly short written tests, and a control group (English A), which followed the regular curriculum without script-based FS instruction. Pre- and post-speaking tests were administered using an individual monologue task. Quantitative analysis revealed that the experimental group demonstrated significant gains in both FS use and total word production (effect size d = 0.95), whereas the control group showed no significant improvement. Furthermore, a moderate positive correlation was found between written test performance and spontaneous use of learned FSs in speech (r = .50, p < .01), suggesting a transition from declarative to procedural knowledge. Comparison with a general learner corpus (ICNALE) further indicated that explicit instruction enabled learners to exceed baseline FS usage levels observed in naturalistic contexts. Qualitative observations showed that learners used FSs to organize discourse, add information, shift topics, and gain planning time, functioning as formulaic scaffolding that reduced cognitive load. These findings suggest that systematic FS instruction, combined with retrieval-based practice, can substantially enhance L2 speaking development in classroom settings. Pedagogical implications for integrating discourse-oriented FS training into regular EFL curricula are discussed.
Keywords
formulaic sequences; explicit instruction; EFL speaking; classroom-based research; learner corpus; Japanese university students
How to cite (APA)
Yamazaki, K. (2026). Classroom-based explicit instruction of formulaic sequences: Effects on Japanese EFL learners’ speaking performance. ELT Classroom Research Journal, 3(1), 77-92. https://doi.org/10.23350/eltcrj.306
Download
Back to Table of Contents
Click here to go back to the Table of Contents for this issue.