Studies (Pica, 1983; Long, 1983b; Ellis, 1984b) showed that, by and large, the order of acquisition was the same for instructed and naturalistic learners, leading to the conclusion that while it was beneficial to teach grammar, it was necessary to ensure that it was taught in a way that was compatible with the natural processes of acquisition.
There are a number of possibilities of how instruction can take account of the learner’s built-in syllabus:
• adopt a zero grammar approach (following Krashen), making no attempt to predetermine the linguistic content of a lesson.
• Ensure learners are ready to acquire a specific feature. However, individual differences might necessitate a highly individualized approach. Nevertheless instruction in a target feature might enable pupils to progress as long as the target structure is not too far ahead of their developmental stage.
• Focus instruction on explicit knowledge, which is not so subject to developmental constraints. This reflects cognitive rather than developmental complexity and is the basis of traditional structural syllabuses.