Measuring Implicit and Explicit Knowledge of a Second Language

1
Measuring Implicit and Explicit Knowledge of a
Second Language

• Quotations from
• Ellis, Rod (2005). SSLA, 27, 141-172.

2
A Problem

• A problem facing investigations of implicit and
  explicit learning is the lack of valid measures
  of second language implicit and explicit
  knowledge. (p. 141)

3
TWO Major Goals of SLA Research

• define and describe second language linguistic
  knowledge
• explain how this knowledge develops over time by
  specifying the external and internal variables
  involved (p. 142)

4
Sad Story

• No consensus among SLA researchers regarding the
  theory that should inform the first goal
• Little real progress in achieving the second goal
  because of a failure to address how learners L2
  knowledge can be measured. (p. 142)

5
What is linguistic knowledge? One version

• draws on work of Chomsky (e.g., 1976)
• linguistic competence is biological capacity for
  acquiring languages, referred to as UG
• linguistic knowledge consists of knowledge of the
  features of a specific language that are derived
  from impoverished input (positive evidence) with
  the help of UG and learning principles, such as
  the subset principle (Wexler Mancini, 1987)
• learners do not need negative evidence to
  eliminate nontarget features.
• this view of language acquisition is largely
  restricted to grammar and is mentalist in
  orientation, emphasizing the contribution of a
  highly specified language module in the mind of
  the learner (p. 142)

6
What is linguistic knowledgeSecond version

• drawing on connectionist theories of language
  learning (Rumelhart McClelland, 1986)
• language learning is not cognitively different
  from other forms of learning
• draws on general mental capacity for registering
  and storing phonological, lexical, and
  grammatical sequences, restructuring their
  representation of old sequences, and over time,
  extracting underlying patterns that resemble
  rules.
• linguistic knowledge resembles an elaborate
  network of nodes and internode connections of
  different strengths that dictate the ease at
  which specific sequences or rules can be accessed
• learning driven primarily by input and it is
  necessary to posit only a relatively simple
  cognitive mechanism (a kind of sensitive pattern
  detector) that responds to positive and negative
  input.
• (p. 142)

7
The two main views of linguistic knowledge are
generally considered oppositional. However. . .

• They share a common base. They both make a clear
  distinction between
• Implicit and
• Explicit knowledge
• Therefore, researchers must ask
• How do we distinguish whether what individual
  learners know about language is represented
  implicitly or explicitly? (p. 143)

8
7 Ways of Distinguishing implicit and explicit
knowledge in order to arrive at a conceptual
account of the two constructs

• Awareness
• Type of knowledge
• Systematicity
• Accessibility
• Use of L2 Knowledge
• Self-Report
• Learnability (p. 151)

9
(p. 151)
10
How can we operationalize these constructs in
order to devise tests to measure them?

• I suggest that operationalization be based on
  seven criteria (based on but not identical to the
  seven characteristics already discussed).
• (p. 151)

11
(p. 152)