Processing instruction and the acquisition of English causatives: accuracy, reaction time, and reading comprehension in the Indian context

Abstract

The present study investigates the effects of Processing Instruction (PI) in comparison to Traditional Instruction (TI) on the acquisition of English causative forms among adult undergraduate learners. Although previous research has generally shown positive results for PI as a pedagogical intervention, its effectiveness in the Indian classroom context has not been empirically examined. Sixty-nine Indian adult learners aged 18–19 years participated in the study. They were divided into three groups: a PI group (n = 28), a TI group (n = 25), and a control group (n = 16). Both the PI and TI groups received instructional intervention, while the control group did not. A pre-test–post-test training design was employed, incorporating a sentence-level comprehension test, a discourse-level inferential test, and a production test. Response times for all tasks were recorded using a self-paced reading technique. Results indicated that the PI group demonstrated significant improvement in accuracy from pre-test to post-test across all three assessment types compared to the TI and control groups. However, accuracy gains did not correspond with faster response times. This study provides the first empirical evidence of the effectiveness of Processing Instruction for teaching English causatives in an Indian undergraduate context. It highlights implications for grammar pedagogy and offers recommendations for integrating structured input in classroom instruction.