The validity of grammaticality judgment task on Saudi EFL learners

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the validity of the controversial data-gathering tool Grammaticality Judgment Task on measuring the grammatical competency of Saudi EFL learners. Despite the widespread use of GJT in SLA research, it is surrounded by a great deal of criticism. The present paper is part of a larger study investigating the acquisition of past verb forms by Saudi EFL learners. Thirty-six Saudi EFL learners took part in the study and were divided into three groups as follows: guided-planning group, semi-guided planning group, and control group. The task used in the study consisted of twenty test items: 10 control test items, and 10 experimental test items. The results did not reveal significant statistical differences between the three groups. Also, the results did not reflect the actual grammatical competency of the participants.