Grammar Teaching Strategies in Digital-Based Immigrant Language Education: Focus on Form Instruction in AMEP and Tsunahiro

The purpose of this study is to examine the realization of grammar teaching strategies in overseas digital-based immigrant language education from the perspective of Focus on Form Instruction (FFI) and to provide practical implications for Korean language education for immigrants. Specifically, the study selected Australia’s Adult Migration English Program (AMEP) and Japan’s Tsunahiro program, reviewing their educational objectives, content structures, and operational methods, with a particular focus on how FFI strategies are implemented in digital learning environments. In AMEP, implicit methods such as input enhancement and input processing are employed at the beginner level, while explicit rule explanation and visual input enhancement are utilized at intermediate and higher levels. Tsunahiro provides input flood and input enhancement through real-life scene videos, offering multilingual scripts and explicit sentence pattern explanations that integrate form-meaning connections with cultural background knowledge. The findings suggest three key implications: First, immigrant language education should shift from test-oriented instruction to grammar education that strengthens real-life communicative competence, and FFI-based input strategies are likely to be more effective in digital learning contexts. Second, AMEP’s job- and social-participation-linked curriculum directly supports immigrant employment, thereby enhancing learning motivation and persistence; accordingly, Korean language education should develop job-specific modules based on occupational needs analysis. Third, given the high proportion of immigrants residing in rural areas and the risk of learning discontinuity, the digital learning structures of AMEP and Tsunahiro offer viable alternatives for ensuring learning continuity. Expanding digital learning infrastructure, managing learning histories, and establishing flexible re-engagement systems could enhance immigrants’ practical language use and social participation capabilities.