Implicit and Explicit Learning of Languages

The distinction between implicit and explicit learning is currently a major theme within cognitive psychology, particularly in relation to learning and memory. Reasoning that no single discipline is responsible for the learning process, the editor employs a cognitive approach to combine contributions from specialists in disciplines such as psychology, linguistics, neuroscience, and computing. The book presents a general study of how learning takes place and applies this knowledge. Learning can take place implicitly, with explicit problem-solving skills, or as a result of explicit instruction, specifically to how these various processes affect and influence language acquisition.

Key Features
* Concerns human learning generally and the ability to acquire languages in particular, bringing together the disciplines of psychology, linguistics, neuroscience, and computing
* Examines one type of learning
* 3/4 language acquisition
* 3/4 drawing together some of the principal scientists and ideas in the area

How do people learn language? This volume concerns human learning in general and the ability to acquire second, foreign and native languages in particular.
It is generally agreed that there are three quite different types of human learning: implicit learning (a non-conscious, automatic abstraction of structure); explicit learning (where, as in problem solving, the learner searches for information and builds and tests hypotheses), and learning as a result of explicit instruction. But how do these processes result in language acquisition? The motivation for this book is that no one discipline can answer this question.
In order to help people learn languages, we need an understanding of the cognitive processes involved. This volume brings together contributions from key researchers in psychology, linguistics, philosophy, computing and neuroscience to determine separate types of human learning, their representations and their interactions.
Implicit and Explicit Learning of Languages presents the first of such collaborative insights into language acquisition and instruction, with particular emphasis on second language learning. It will be essential reading for students, researchers and practitioners in applied linguistics, cognitive science, cognitive psychology and second language acquisition.