Input Enhancement

Students read a text with highlighted multi-word chunks, then turn it over and try to recall as many highlighted expressions as possible.

Procedure

1. Distribute copies of a short text with 8-12 highlighted chunks (or project it on screen). Ask learners to read it immediately. Set a time limit of about two minutes.
2. Immediately after reading, students turn the page over and write down as many highlighted chunks as they can remember.
3. Students compare answers in pairs or move around the room to complete their lists with help from classmates.
4. Conduct feedback, eliciting the contexts in which the target chunks were used.
5. Proceed to other post-reading activities such as comprehension checks or discussion questions.

Tips

• Research suggests input enhancement is more effective when students are explicitly told before reading to pay attention to highlighted items.
• Select chunks using your intuition plus good dictionaries and online corpora.
• You don't need to print the text — project it, allow study time, then remove it.
• Use different colours for different chunks when displaying on screen.
• Versatile across levels, text types, and language focus areas.