Examines the role of form-focused instruction (FFI) in developing implicit knowledge by reviewing 11 studies that have examined the effect of FFI on learners' free production. Suggests that FFI can contribute to the acquisition of implicit knowledge and points to two variables that appear to influence its success--the choice the th target…

In response to Ellis (2002), which resurrects the notion that language acquisition consists of frequency-based abstraction of regularities from input, this article suggests Ellis ignores fundamental and well-known problems, including the poverty of the stimulus, cases of instantaneous acquisition, and evidence for innate knowledge. (Author/VWL)

Responds to Ellis (2002), which focuses on frequency in language processing, language use, and language acquisition. Contextualizes the frequency factor in terms of the evolution of second language acquisition (SLA) research. Suggests that although relevant and important, the frequency factor requires greater definition and qualification.…

Echoes Robert J. Conners' call for a reexamination of sentence pedagogies in composition teaching. Offers an explanation of the unsolved mystery of why sentence combining improves student writing, using insights provided by work in contemporary research in linguistics and in language processing. Argues that educators invite words and phrases, the…

Findings from a study in which twins were given tests of onward repetition and auditory processing are discussed. Children with specific language impairments were impaired on both measures, but deficits had different origins. Auditory processing problems showed no evidence of genetic influence, whereas the nonword repetition deficit was highly…

Crosslinguistic influence in second language acquisition is examined from a processing perspective. Applying Processibility Theory as the theoretical framework, claims that second language (L2) learners can only produce forms they are able to process. (Author/VWL)

Reviews processing (PI) instruction, outlines a model of input processing, describes the nature of PI, and discusses research on it to date. (Author/VWL)

Responds to VanPatten's update of the findings for processing instruction. Questions the explanatory adequacy of the model of input processing that VanPatten proposed and that underpins his pedagogic proposals. Questions the validity of the limited-capacity, single-resource model of attention proposed for second language learning. (Author/VWL)

Presents a psycholinguistically motivated type of grammar instruction called processing instruction to show how learners can be pushed to make form-meaning connections as they attempt to process three grammatical structures in French: obligatory use of "de/d'' with a negative after "avoir"; French subjunctive; and French causative. (Author/VWL)

Examined real-time lexical processing of children with specific language impairment (SLI). Focused on whether a temporal processing deficit or a general processing capacity deficit disrupts these children's lexical processing. (Author/VWL)

Describes the seven main components of QUEST, a cognitive model of question answering that attempts to simulate the answers adults produce when they answer different types of questions, both closed class and open class. Illustrates how the model could be applied to different types of knowledge structures, including causal networks, goal…

Tests the QUEST model of question answering in two experiments. Examines which components of QUEST could predict good answers to why-questions and how-questions in the context of short stories. Supports the validity of arc-search procedures and structural distance for both question categories. Finds only partial support for number of information…

Tests the QUEST model of question answering in naturalistic settings and in settings with complex pragmatic constraints: telephone surveys, business interactions, filmed interviews, and interviews on popular television programs. Finds that QUEST explains most of the answers in these contexts and virtually all of the answers that refer to the…

Recalls childhood experiences which influenced the author in becoming a writer and a teacher. Explores the symbolic power humans wield with language, which extends from a single word to a phrase to a whole story. (MG)

Compares different approaches to first- and second-language development. It is argued that the observed differences between first- and (adult) second-language acquisition can be accounted for by assuming that adult second-language learners can not use Universal Grammar principles as a learning device in the same way that first-language learners…