Processing instruction and structured input: A critical overview

Processing instruction (PI) is a form-focused pedagogical intervention that requires L2 learners to process input that is structured in such a way as to promote connecting a form with its meaning. What we have come to call traditional or full processing instruction consists of two elements, explanation and practice. The explanation or explicit information (EI) provides information about the target linguistic structure, not only its form but also its meaning. Many of the forms we have investigated within the PI framework have grammatical rather than lexical meanings.