Memory and Implicit Learning: A Preliminary Inquiry

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Memory and Implicit LearningA Preliminary
Inquiry

• ZhaoHong Han
• han_at_tc.columbia.edu
• Teachers College, Columbia University
• Spring 2005

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Motivations
Demos of Data collection procedures Elicitation
tasks Data analysis
Issues Memory Implicit learning Memory and
implicit learning
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A preliminary inquiry

• Experimenting with tasks
• What/which task is sensitive to memory?
• What task operationalizes implicit learning?
• What task assesses implicit learning?

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Tasks

• Dictation1RS
• Dictation2IRS
• Sentence Copying
• Gap Filling

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Participants

• N 16 adult beginning learners
• L1 Miscellaneous
• TL Norwegian

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Data coding and analysis
Sentence accuracy
Dictation1RS
Raw numbers
Word accuracy
Word mean
Dictation2IRS
Percentages
Wicoxon Signed Ranks Test
SPSS 12.0
Spearman Rho Correlation Analysis
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Results Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test
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Results Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test
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Results Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test
Difficulty level
Dictation2IRS
Gap Filling
Dictation1RS
Sentence Copying
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Dictation1RS
Prompt 3. The logical problem of language
acquisition that Performance 3. The logical
problem that language acquisition that
Dictation2IRS
Prompt 3. logical of language the that problem
acquisition Performance 3. logical of the
language the that language acquisition
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ResultsSpearman Rho Correlations
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ResultsSpearman Rho Correlations
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Discussion
Conclusion

• Dicatation2IRS is more sensitive to memory than
  Dictation1RS.
• Sentence Copying did not seem effective in
  eliciting implicit learning.
• Gap Filling measures implicit learning to some
  extent.

It is not yet clear whether there is a strong
correlative/causative relationship between memory
and implicit learning.
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• http//www.tc.columbia.edu/Academic/TESOL/Han/ILA.
  html