Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Reza Zabihi
• Mahnaz Khosrojerdi
• Mehdi Mehranirad

English Department, University of Neyshabur

Abstract

The timing and distribution of instructional input play a critical role in shaping language learning outcomes. This study examined the effects of input spacing on second language (L2) grammar learning by comparing massed and distributed presentation formats. Twenty Persian-speaking pre-intermediate learners at a private language institute in Mashhad, Iran, participated in the study. The participants were taught four unfamiliar grammatical rules across two instructional sessions. Each learner encountered two rules under a massed input condition (2-day interval) and two rules under a distributed input condition (9-day interval), allowing for a within-subjects comparison. A delayed posttest was administered four weeks after the final instructional session to assess long-term retention. The results revealed a significant advantage for the distributed input condition (9-day interval) over the massed condition (2-day interval), suggesting that increasing the lag between instructional encounters can enhance long-term retention of L2 grammatical knowledge. These findings support the spacing effect in L2 acquisition and offer pedagogical insights into how input scheduling can influence the retention of grammatical knowledge in foreign language instruction. The study contributes to the growing body of research advocating for the strategic timing of instructional input to maximize long-term learning outcomes in L2 education.

Keywords

• distribution of practice
• spacing effect
• L2 grammar learning
• input scheduling
• retention

Main Subjects

• Education