TY - JOUR

T1 - The role of modality and awareness in language learning

AU - Zhao, C.

AU - Kormos, J.

AU - Rebuschat, P.

AU - Suzuki, S.

N1 - https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/applied-psycholinguistics/article/role-of-modality-and-awareness-in-language-learning/B53427390E7F47E5BE30E937C5865DAB The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Applied Psycholinguistics, ?, (?), pp ?-? 2021, © 2021 Cambridge University Press.

PY - 2021/3/3

Y1 - 2021/3/3

N2 - There is conflicting empirical evidence regarding the role of awareness in second language learning. Possible explanations for the contradictory results include the modality in the exposure and assessment phases of previous experiments. Our study investigated the acquisition of a novel determiner system under incidental exposure conditions and examined the effect of modality in both exposure and assessment phases. Animacy served as a hidden regularity in the determiners, which were embedded in sentences and presented to Chinese speakers of English either in auditory or in visual mode. Learning was assessed by a two-alternative forced-choice test either auditorily or in writing. Implicit and explicit knowledge were measured using retrospective verbal reports and source judgements. Bayesian analysis provided moderate evidence for above chance level learning. Significant learning effects were observed regardless of whether participants based their accuracy judgements on explicit or implicit knowledge. Bayesian analysis showed moderate evidence for above chance learning effects for aware participants. Generalized linear mixed-effects modeling revealed a small-size significant benefit of the auditory exposure modality over the written modality but indicated no significant effect of the modality of assessment or awareness. Our research underscores the importance of considering the role of modality of exposure in incidental second language learning contexts.

AB - There is conflicting empirical evidence regarding the role of awareness in second language learning. Possible explanations for the contradictory results include the modality in the exposure and assessment phases of previous experiments. Our study investigated the acquisition of a novel determiner system under incidental exposure conditions and examined the effect of modality in both exposure and assessment phases. Animacy served as a hidden regularity in the determiners, which were embedded in sentences and presented to Chinese speakers of English either in auditory or in visual mode. Learning was assessed by a two-alternative forced-choice test either auditorily or in writing. Implicit and explicit knowledge were measured using retrospective verbal reports and source judgements. Bayesian analysis provided moderate evidence for above chance level learning. Significant learning effects were observed regardless of whether participants based their accuracy judgements on explicit or implicit knowledge. Bayesian analysis showed moderate evidence for above chance learning effects for aware participants. Generalized linear mixed-effects modeling revealed a small-size significant benefit of the auditory exposure modality over the written modality but indicated no significant effect of the modality of assessment or awareness. Our research underscores the importance of considering the role of modality of exposure in incidental second language learning contexts.

KW - awareness

KW - implicit/explicit knowledge

KW - incidental learning

KW - language learning

KW - modality effects

U2 - 10.1017/S0142716421000023

DO - 10.1017/S0142716421000023

M3 - Journal article

JO - Applied Psycholinguistics

JF - Applied Psycholinguistics

SN - 0142-7164

ER -