Angela Briggs FLT 860 Michigan State University

1. SLA is largely or exclusively implicit Krashen and the Monitor Model Universal Grammar 2. SLA is largely or exclusively explicit Few researchers agree with this position 3. SLA consists of both implicit and explicit learning Two major groups: Adaptive Control of Thought Model Noticing

Explicit: Input process with the conscious intention to find out whether the input information contains regularities and, if so, to work out the concepts and rules with which these regularities can be captured. (Learning while hypothesis testing - adults) Implicit: Input processing without such an intention, taking place unconsciously. (Natural learning without focus on rules) Acquisition: Implicit, competent, and subconscious process. Learning: Explicit and can be monitored (output)

Competence: Mental system that underlies our ability to use (produce/comprehend) language. Universal Grammar: Set of innate principles common to all languages. (Happens outside of learner awareness - implicit) Connectionism: An approach that assumes that learning takes place based on the extraction of regularities from the input. (The more often it is seen or heard creates stronger associations) Poverty of the Stimulus: Within UG when input is not specific enough to allow a child to attain complex grammar structures.

Theory #1: SLA is largely or exclusively implicit Krashen’s Monitor Theory (1982): Acquisition – Learning Hypothesis Acquisition is implicit, subconscious and results in competency. Language production Learning is explicit and results in a learned system that can be monitored. Inspector of the acquired system. Today they are interchangeable Universal Grammar: Most believe acquisition is implicit and competency is a result of the interaction with input data and UG. Unconscious. Psychological Learning (connectionism): Acquisition is implicit. Learning is a result of unconscious processing of linguistic tokens of input. Use of language, frequency and associations.

Theory #2: SLA is largely or exclusively explicit. Very few scholars believe SLA is exclusively explicit. Explicit learning is difficult may not allow learners to speak as easily or as quickly as implicit. Adult L2 learners tend to use a more explicit approach to learning. Children are more implicit in their learning. Van Patten and Benati, “Explicit learning plays a secondary or helpful role, if at all.” (p. 33)

Theory #3: SLA consists of both implicit and explicit learning. Adaptive Control of Thought Model: Declarative (explicit) and Procedural (implicit) Knowledge Automatization - control one has over their linguistic knowledge. Routine. Learners language behavior becomes second nature. Schmidt’s Noticing Hypothesis: “Awareness through attention is necessary for noticing what is essential for learning” (p. 265) Learner has to be actively involved in the L2 for learning to take place. Eye-tracking studies

Declarative Knowledge: Base for explicit knowledge. It is a knowledge about words and very accessible. Pronunciation, collocation and meaning Procedural Knowledge: Base for implicit knowledge and deals with motor and cognitive skills and inaccessible. Producing language or playing tennis *According to Gass, with age our ability to use procedural knowledge decreases and we begin to rely more on declarative knowledge in learning (p. 282) Adult L2 learners employ explicit knowledge

Explicit Versus Implicit Hulstijn (2005) Explicit = conscious intention to find out if there regularities in the input information Implicit = input processing without intention N. Ellis (1994) Explicit = conscious act where hypothesis are tested for structure Implicit = acquisition of knowledge through natural, simple and unconsciously Question: Can everything be learned implicitly? Can we convert implicit knowledge to explicit knowledge?

Interface of Knowledge Types: No Interface: Theory #1 Krashen – implicit and explicit knowledge is stored in different areas of the brain. Meaning explicit and implicit will never meet. Most researchers do not subscribe to this theory anymore. Weak Interface: Theory #2? Nick Ellis’ – We rely on explicit when implicit fails. Example: Sometimes in our NL we have to stop and think about why we are producing a certain structure in our L1. “The bulk of language acquisition is implicit learning from usage. Most knowledge is tacit knowledge; most learning is implicit” Strong Interface: Theory #3 DeKeyser’s – Both explicit and implicit are working together ALL the time. If both are employed simultaneously automaticity can be achieved by the learner. Native like

According to Van Patten and Benati, “SLA research is chock-full of examples of how learners come to know much more than what they were taught, practiced or even exposed to.” (p. 35) Knowledge is the result of the interaction of UG with data from the environment; input. UG works outside of awareness and therefore can only be implicit. Explicit learning does not interface with UG data from the input. Skill theory: adults begin learning explicitly Very conscious and adhere to rules – “How to say it right.”

How does explicit and implicit teaching differ from explicit and implicit learning? Teaching is a conscious act with a learning objectives in mind but the path to those objectives may be reached explicitly or implicitly. Teaching: Explicit: Structured, rules (adults), grammar, conscious, lack of peer interaction Implicit: Communicative, authentic, conscious, natural Example: I know I am teaching implicitly but my students may not even realize they are are learning. Which is often my goal. Example: With explicit teaching students may just memorize the rules and not truly understand what they have learned.

I am curious about the positive effects of instruction mentioned at the end of the article. I would love to hear what you think about the connection/role between explicit and implicit learning and teaching. Lastly, do you feel like instruction methods makes a difference?

Gass, Behney, and Plonsky Second Language Acquisition: An Introductory Course. New York, NY: Routledge.