Abstract:

Focus on Form (FonF) combines the advantages of two teaching methods, i.e., Focus on Forms and Focus on Meaning. Hence, it is conducive to improving language learners’ accuracy and facilitating their language learning. An overview of the domestic studies on FonF can help promote in-depth research into this topic. The analysis of 76 domestic research articles on FonF between 2003 and 2022 leads to the findings that: empirical research has gradually become the dominant paradigm; the development trend presents a dynamic change; the research topics include comparisons between FonF instruction and other teaching methods, the effectiveness of FonF, the timing and means of FonF, learner uptake in FonF, and investigation of FonF instruction in China. Though some initial achievements have been made in the past twenty years, domestic studies are not immune to such problems as paucity of studies on FonF theories and biases in selecting the topics of the study. Therefore, future studies should aim to establish a theoretical system of FonF in the domestic context, further expand empirical research topics, and enrich research results.

Key words: FonF, domestic research, present situation, problems, prospect