Doctoral Dissertation Research: Exploring the Interface of Implicit and Explicit Second-Language Knowledge: A Longitudinal Perspective

Michigan State University, East Lansing MI

Investigators

Abstract

The purpose of this project is to probe the interface of second language (L2) explicit and implicit knowledge and explore to what extent different L2 learning processes influence their development. Explicit knowledge is conscious-verbalizable knowledge while implicit knowledge is unconscious knowledge of language that is widely held to be a key component for fluent communicative skills. Understanding how L2 knowledge emerges and what processing activities contribute to it is an important area of L2 research that can inform how languages can best be learned and taught. It will also advance researchers' understanding of the cognitive basis of L2 acquisition and to what extent this basis differs from, or is similar to, first language acquisition. Psycholinguists have studied the relationship between and within L2 knowledge and processing for decades, yet the nature of the interface remains unclear. To demystify the interface debate, a large body of international students in the U.S. will complete a battery of five linguistic knowledge tests three times over twelve months. An untimed written grammaticality judgment test (GJT) and metalinguistic knowledge test will serve as measures of explicit knowledge whereas a timed written GJT, oral production task, and elicited imitation will be used to measure implicit knowledge. Students will also report their engagement in the L2 periodically through a mobile app. Using structural equation modeling, the proposed study addresses two research questions: (1) To what extent does explicit knowledge influence the development of implicit knowledge? (2) To what extent do the amount and type of language processing (i.e., grammar-focused and meaning-focused) contribute to the development of different knowledge types? The results of this study speak directly to the educational benefits of studying abroad. Data on students? authentic language usage can be used to enhance and enrich the international student experience. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.