Schmidt's Noticing Hypothesis in Second Language Acquisition

Schmidt’s Noticing Hypothesis (Explicit Learning)

Role of Attention and Awareness

Schmidt's Noticing Hypothesis posits that learners must consciously pay attention to and be aware of linguistic input to acquire a second language (L2). This contrasts with implicit learning theories, which suggest that language acquisition can occur subconsciously.

Intake refers to the portion of input that learners successfully process and integrate into their L2 knowledge. Attention plays a crucial role in selecting intake by:

• Heightening the activation level of input in working memory, allowing it to remain available for further processing.
• Facilitating the transfer of information to long-term memory.

Long-Term Memory Functions

Long-term memory serves two primary functions:

• Storage: Holding information for later retrieval.
• Processing: Integrating new information with existing knowledge.

Characteristics of Attention

Schmidt highlights key characteristics of attention:

• Limited Capacity: We cannot sustain focused attention indefinitely.
• Selective: We can only attend to one attention-demanding task at a time.
• Voluntary: We have control over our attentional focus.

Attention acts as a gatekeeper to conscious awareness, allowing us to selectively process information. Think-aloud protocols, where learners verbalize their thoughts while performing tasks, help researchers understand these cognitive processes.

Explicit vs. Implicit Learning

Schmidt's hypothesis aligns with the view that explicit learning, involving conscious attention and awareness, precedes implicit learning, which occurs subconsciously and automatically.

Noticing Hypothesis and Intake

The Noticing Hypothesis explains why only a portion of input becomes intake:

• Not all input is equally valuable.
• Only noticed input becomes available for intake and processing.

Understanding the input is not necessary for noticing to occur. Noticing is considered the crucial step in converting input to intake.

Factors Influencing Noticing

Several factors influence noticing:

• Frequency: More frequent forms are more likely to be noticed.
• Perceptual Salience: Forms that stand out are more likely to be noticed.
• Instruction: Explicit instruction can draw attention to less salient forms.
• Individual Differences: Learners with greater working memory capacity and attentional control are more effective at noticing.

Individual Differences in Processing Ability

Learners vary in their ability to process input and notice new forms. This is due to differences in:

• Working memory capacity
• Attentional capacity
• Speed of information processing

These individual differences contribute to variations in language learning speed and efficiency.