Premium
Differential Effects of Attention
Author(s) -
Gass Susan,
Svetics Ildikó,
Lemelin Sarah
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
language learning
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.882
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1467-9922
pISSN - 0023-8333
DOI - 10.1111/1467-9922.00233
Subject(s) - lexicon , syntax , psychology , linguistics , differential effects , language proficiency , cognitive psychology , differential (mechanical device) , psycholinguistics , cognition , mathematics education , medicine , philosophy , neuroscience , engineering , aerospace engineering
This study questions the extent to which attention differentially affects different parts of language and how this differential effect interacts with increased linguistic knowledge (i.e., proficiency). Thirty‐four English speakers enrolled in Italian 1st‐, 2nd‐, and 3rd‐year foriegn language courses in the United States were placed into one of two conditions ([+focused attention] and [−focused attention]) for each of three linguistic areas (syntax, morphosyntax, and lexicon). It was predicted that focused attention would have the greatest effect on the lexicon and the least on syntax. The results showed the opposite. For the non‐focused‐attention condition, the predicted results were borne out. With regard to proficiency, focused attention had a diminishing effect, with the greatest effect in early periods of learning and the least in later stages.