Which is Learnt First Regular or Irregular Simple Past Forms? A Quantitative Study in the Context of the Undergraduate Arab Learners of English (ALEs) under Two Different Teaching Methods

Abstract

Aims: To investigate which simple past forms are learnt first, regular or irregular forms, under two different methods of teaching writing, in the context of foreign language learning. Study Design: Quantitative analysis for all the simple past forms produced by the participants in three chronological written texts collected in the experiment. Place and Duration of Study: Sample of Male Arab Learners of English studying in a high school in the Sultanate of Oman 2010. Methodology: 74 Arab Learners of English forming two groups, 34 represents the Experimental Group following the Innovated Writing Process approach, and 34 represents the Control Group following Traditional Product Writing approach. Results: Arab Learners of English in the Experimental Group produced 670 (40.31%) regular simple past forms in the three chronological written texts and 992 (59.69%) irregular simple past forms. This is compared with participants in the Control Group who produces 588 (37.88%) regular simple past forms and 964 (62.12%) irregular simple past forms. Conclusion: Arab Learners of English learn the irregular simple past forms before the regular simple past forms in two different teaching methods of writing.