The project aims to contribute to the ongoing debate on the effectiveness of both explicit and implicit instruction in Second Language Acquisition (SLA). In particular, it will focus on possible determinants concerning the effectiveness of instruction, i.e. (i) the type of knowledge and (ii) the complexity of the language feature involved. The aim is to establish the interactions between these determinants and the type of instruction. The second language of interest in the project is German, as it is learnt by advanced Dutch-speaking learners. The project focuses on their use of case markers in different contexts.
- RQ1 Do the effects of explicit and implicit instruction depend on the type of knowledge (i.e., explicit/implicit)? In other words: Is the effect of explicit/implicit instruction on explicit knowledge larger or smaller than their effect on implicit knowledge?
- RQ2 Do the effects of explicit and implicit instruction depend on the complexity of the language feature? In other words: Is the effect of explicit/implicit instruction on a simple feature larger or smaller than their effect on a complex feature?
- RQ3 Is instruction that is targeted to the next stage in the L2 learner’s development more effective than instruction that targets a more advanced stage? In other words: Are learners developmentally ready to take in the instruction on a complex feature?