Why Explicit Knowledge Cannot Become Implicit Knowledge
Bill VanPatten (PhD, University of Texas at Austin) is Professor of Spanish and Second Language Studies, Michigan State University, East Lansing.
Abstract
In this essay, I review one of the conclusions in Lindseth (2016) published in Foreign Language Annals. That conclusion suggests that explicit learning and practice (what she called form‐focused instruction) somehow help the development of implicit knowledge (or might even become implicit knowledge). I argue for a different interpretation of the results based on the nature of language as mental representation and the nature of acquisition. I argue that explicit knowledge cannot become implicit knowledge or help its development as characterized by Lindseth. Instead, the results can be interpreted as learners simply getting faster with explicit knowledge.
Number of times cited: 2
- Mari Umeda, Neal Snape, Noriaki Yusa and John Wiltshier, The long-term effect of explicit instruction on learners’ knowledge on English articles, Language Teaching Research, (136216881773964), (2017).
- Ines A. Martin and Carrie N. Jackson, Pronunciation Training Facilitates the Learning and Retention of L2 Grammatical Structures, Foreign Language Annals, 49, 4, (658), (2016).
