SCHMIDT The Noticing Hypothesis

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SCHMIDTThe Noticing Hypothesis

• The Role of Consciousness in Second Language
  Acquisition

Carmen Boulter
Tamkang University
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Schmidts Position

• the notion of consciousness is crucial because
  of an impressive body of research that deals with
  its role in cognition and learning and because it
  ties together many interacting concepts

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Objections to Integrating Notions of
Consciousness into Theory

• Theory cannot capture subjective perspective
• Consciousness is seen as casually inert when
  explaining cognition
• The notion of consciousness is considered too
  vague to be explanatory

Schmidt (1995)
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Degrees of Consciousness

• Consciousness as awareness
• Perception
• Noticing (focal awareness)
• Understanding
• Consciousness as intention
• Passive-active
• Strategies
• Practice
• Consciousness as knowledge
• Explicit-implicit continuum
• Declarative-procedural
• Controlled-automatic

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Theories of Consciousness

• Consciousness and information processing
• Global workspace theory

Schmidt (1995)
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Consciousness in a Multistore Model of Memory
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Consciousness as a Central Information Exchange
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Theories of Attention

• Single-channel, filter theories
• Flexible allocation of capacity
• Multiple-resource theories
• Action-selection views of attention

Schmidt (1999)
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Utilization of Attention
Stimulus Identification
Response programming
Sensory encoding
Response selection
Perceptual analysis
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Unconscious Perception
How does information that is perceived without
awareness influence conscious experience?
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Empirical Evidence from Psychology and Applied
Linguistics

• Incidental and intentional learning
• Attention and Noticing
• Implicit and explicit learning

Schmidt (1993)
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NeuroscienceAttention vs. Awareness
There is neural activity that produces conscious
experience and neural activity that does not
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The Legacy of Behaviorism

• Subjective experience is off limits to
  scientific inquiry
• This does negate the existence of subliminal
  perception

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Consciousness and Cognition
Focused attention requires 3 brain regions

• cortical site of attentional expression
• Thalamic enhancement structure
• Prefrontal area of control

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Connectionism

• Unconscious processes have a larger explanatory
  role
• Favor brain-like computational architectures

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Dichotic Listening Paradigm

• Different message presented in each ear and
  subjects must report
• Dichotic listening is Learnable

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Conscious vs. Unconscious
McLaughlin (1990)
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Conscious vs. Unconscious contd
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Conscious vs. Unconscious contd
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The Krashen-McLaughlin Debate
Is language acquisition based on rule or feel?
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The Reber-Dulany Debate
If learners cannot explain what they know, is
learning occurring in the absence of
code-breaking strategies?
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The McClelland-Rumelhart / Pinker-Prince Debate
Does knowledge of language consist of
mentally-represented rules?
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Critique
As VanPatten points out, there is a great danger
when talking about the role of consciousness in
learning that this will be interpreted as a
reactionary call for a return to the most
traditional language teaching methods
VanPatten (1994)
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Critique

• Schmidts attention, consciousness and
  noticing hypothesis does not provide clear
  definition of learning that is, we have no idea
  what level of consciousness is responsible for
  learning.

Gass (1997)
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Implications for Foreign Language Pedagogy

• Pay attention to input
• Design specific aspects of the input relative
  to desired output
• Compare target language speakers speech in
  particular contexts
• Notice how specific instances of general
  principles are used

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Can there be learning without intention?
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Can there be learning without attention?
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Can there be learning without noticing?
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Can there be learning without understanding?
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Acknowledgements toChris ChangSusan Su