Dialogic Interaction in Grammar Instruction: Exploring Explicit and Implicit Approaches in an EFL Classroom

Abstract

This study examines the role of dialogic interaction in mediating explicit and implicit grammar instruction in an EFL classroom context. Despite growing emphasis on communicative approaches, grammar teaching at the tertiary level often remains teacher-directed and monologic. The study employed a mixed-methods design involving 100 EFL students (aged 16–18) at Fergana State University academic lyceum, randomly assigned to an explicit instruction group (n = 50) or an implicit instruction group (n = 50) over a 12-week intervention. Quantitative data were collected through pre-test and post-test grammar assessments and Likert-scale perception surveys, while qualitative data were gathered via semi-structured interviews and video-recorded classroom discourse. Results showed that the explicit instruction group achieved significantly higher grammatical accuracy gains (pre-test M = 62.40, post-test M = 78.90) compared to the implicit instruction group (pre-test M = 61.85, post-test M = 71.30), with a statistically significant between-group difference (t(98) = 4.12, p < .05, Cohen's d = 0.65). Qualitatively, dialogic interaction functioned as a pedagogic mediator in both conditions, facilitating metalinguistic awareness, scaffolded reasoning, and peer negotiation of meaning. The findings suggest that integrating dialogic practices into both explicit and implicit grammar instruction enhances learning outcomes and promotes learner agency. Implications for EFL curriculum design and teacher professional development are discussed.