It Take Two: Contrasting Tasks and Contrasting Structures

Many approaches are now being used to collect and examine data pertinent to second language acquisition, Studies may be longitudinal, cross‐sectional, or ethnographic in nature. Language may be observed in a natural setting or elicited through controlled tasks. Wong Fillmore (1980) has remarked that each means of collecting data has its advantages in terms of what is revealed and concealed. She therefore recommends the use of multiple measures in assessing second language development (see also Madden, Bailey, and Eisenstein 1978). The purpose of this article is to examine and compare two measures of adult second language learner performance: cued production and elicited imitation. The utility of each task will be discussed in terms of the contrasting results of the tasks on a carefully delimited area of grammar, namely the related structures of third person simple present and present progressive in Wh‐questions. 1982 TESOL International Association