Can strategic planning enhance language learning? This study investigates the impact of pretask planning on second language (L2) oral performance, with a specific focus on how it influences learners' attention to form. Departing from previous research that primarily assessed the linguistic quality of planned output, this study explores the cognitive and attentional processes involved during the planning phase. The research employs retrospective methodologies, drawing on focus on form and strategy use research, to understand whether planning opportunity increases attention to formal aspects of language, both during planning time and in actual task performance. The results suggest that planning before an L2 task can promote a heightened focus on form. Providing learners with dedicated planning time allows them to consciously attend to the systemic and formal elements necessary for effective task completion, ultimately enhancing their language learning outcomes.
Published in Studies in Second Language Acquisition, a leading journal in the field, this paper aligns directly with the journal’s focus on second language acquisition research. The study investigates cognitive processes involved in language learning and offers valuable insights for language pedagogy. The journal has interest in studies of this nature.