Implicit Learning of Semantic Generalization by EFL Learners

Abstract

Implicit learning is broadly defined as learning which occurs without awareness or intention. According to Paciorek (2013), “implicit learning is believed to reflect absorption of statistical regularities in the environment, resulting in knowledge which is difficult to introspect” (p. 2). In implicit learning, learners remain unaware of the learning which is taken place although such learning is evident in the behavioral responses that they make. On the other hand, explicit learning takes place consciously and results in knowledge that is represented in an explicit form. According to Ellis (2009), explicit learning “typically involves memorizing a series of successive facts and thus makes heavy demands on working memory” (p.3). Previous studies (e.g., Hama & Leow, 2010; Williams, 2005) have examined the implicit learning of grammatical agreement between articles and nouns where learning may have been supported by specific linguistic knowledge. The question of whether previous work can be extended to a domain in which learning is not