Explicit versus implicit modes of language instruction

Design · All designs
Evidence · 2 claims (2 for) · 1 study (1 causal), q2 · 1 of 1 report an effect size · 2 claims rest on one study

Description

The article organizes literacy and language teaching around a schism between implicit instruction, meaning "intensive exposure to language- without explicit instruction", and explicit instruction, in which the structure is explained, exemplified, and the rule presented ready for use. It situates phonological awareness instruction as the explicit mode for literacy, contrasting it with the implicit exposure of ordinary EFL classes, and cites the Norris and Ortega (2000) meta-analysis concluding explicit teaching is far more effective for language skills.

Design Implications

Context

Requirements

• For the explicit mode: structured materials that present sound-letter associations, blending, and segmentation in a sequenced, non-alphabetical order

Constraints

• The article notes PA instruction proven effective with one background of learners does not guarantee success with other backgrounds, due to phonological differences between English and the learners' L1

Target Learners

• Adult Arab EFL learners in university foundation programs

Learning Goals

• EFL reading literacy (word identification)

Claims

• Pa Posttest Outperforms Exposure Large Effect [+M]
• Intensive Exposure Alone No Literacy Gain [+M]

Related Designs

Examples

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Key Sources

• Mahmoud Ibrahim. (2018). Explicit Versus Implicit Modes of EFL Reading Literacy Instruction: Using Phonological Awareness With Adult Arab Learners. English Language Teaching, 11(9). https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v11n9p144

Page metadata

Field	Value
type	design
id	explicit-versus-implicit-instruction-modes
title	Explicit versus implicit modes of language instruction
description	The article organizes literacy and language teaching around a schism between implicit instruction, meaning "intensive exposure to language- without explicit instruction", and explicit instruction, in which the structu...
status	review
generated	by process:settle-candidates on 2026-11-02
trust	unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content
sources	1 — mahmoud-ibrahim-2018

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