The Noticing Hypothesis SLA is largely driven by what learners pay attention to and notice in target language input and what they understand of the significance of noticed input to be.(Schmidt, 2001:4) This implies that input becomes intake only when a learner consciously notices some aspect of the input. But how can this be tested? c.f., Krashen’s learned vs. acquired distinction.

Teaching as making input noticed The bulk of classroom language teaching time is spent making target language input noticeable to learners. This is known as externally-induced attention

Making input noticable In your classrooms, how can you make targeted language phenomena (syntax, phonology, discourse) noticeable to your learners? How do you choose what to focus on? Is it effective?

Focus on Form (FonF) Focus on Form strategies are intended to raise learners’ awareness of a form in context, with a minimum of deductive explanation and rule memorization. Strategies range from relatively unobtrusive tasks such as “Input flood” to more overt methods such as “Garden Path” activites.

Doughty & Williams’ FonF Strategies least obtrusive Input flood Task-essential language Input enhancement Negotiation Recast Output enhancement Interaction enhancement Dictogloss Consciousness-raising tasks Input processing Garden path most obtrusive

FonF Considerations What language should be focused on? Which strategy is most appropriate for a given language structure? What might be the effects of an over-emphasis on noticing?