ABSTRACT

There is general consensus that the acquisition of a L2 involves the development of linguistic competence that consists of implicit knowledge. Implicit knowledge is defined as language knowledge that cannot be verbalized or explained and that is readily available in “spontaneous language use where there is little opportunity for careful online planning” (Ellis, 2005, p. 12). Without the ability to measure ‘implicit knowledge,’ questions about the effectiveness of different types of instruction and the distinction between implicit and explicit knowledge remain unanswered.