The interface position is a concept in second-language acquisition describing the range of possible theoretical relationships between implicit and explicit knowledge in the mind of a second-language learner. Implicit, or tacit, knowledge is language knowledge that learners possess intuitively but cannot readily put into words, while explicit knowledge is language knowledge that learners possess and can also verbalize; a native Spanish speaker, for instance, intuitively knows how to conjugate verbs without being able to explain the underlying rules, whereas a non-native learner of Spanish may be able to explain those rules without yet being able to apply them fluently in natural speech. The nature of the relationship between these two kinds of knowledge in second-language learners, including whether and how explicit knowledge can become implicit, has received considerable attention in second-language acquisition research.
Facts
Core ClaimThe interface position is a concept in second language acquisition that describes the various possible theoretical relationships between implicit and explicit knowledge in the mind of a second language learner. 1 FAQs
What are the main positions on whether explicit knowledge can become implicit?
There are three: no-interface, strong-interface and weak-interface positions.
There are three basic positions: the no-interface position, the strong-interface position, and various weak-interface positions. The no-interface position holds that there is no relationship between the two kinds of knowledge, so knowledge learned explicitly can never become fast, automatic language knowledge. The strong-interface position holds that explicit knowledge can always become implicit through repeated practice. The weak-interface positions hold that explicit knowledge can become implicit to some extent, but that this is limited by various developmental factors.
Which interface position is linked to skill-building theories of second language acquisition?
The strong-interface position.
The strong-interface position is the one most often associated with skill-building theories of second language acquisition. It states that explicit language knowledge can always become implicit language knowledge, and that such knowledge becomes implicit through repeated practice.
Sources
1. Interface Position (Wikipedia)
WikipediaLead section, first sentence
The interface position is a concept in second language acquisition that describes the various possible theoretical relationships between implicit and explicit knowledge in the mind of a second language learner.
In Group: Language Acquisition Processing Models, Lead
The interface position is a concept in second language acquisition that describes the various possible theoretical relationships between implicit and explicit knowledge in the mind of a second language learner.
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