Consciousness, attention, and noticing

Abstract

This chapter discusses the three closely related cognitive individual difference constructs, consciousness, attention and noticing. Specifically, it elaborates on their respective theoretical models, hypotheses, and operational frameworks and summarizes key tenets and empirical supports from research in SLA and task-based language teaching (TBLT). In particular, I provide an updated review of Richard Schmidt’s noticing hypothesis within the broader context of input and output theories of SLA, re-examining its validity against Schmidt’s own evidence and support from more recent empirical studies, and investigating its limitations. Then, I move on to discuss the theoretical implications for the two attentional models within TBLT and describe the pedagogical tactics to enhance and nurture noticing in TBLT stages and classroom instructions. Overall, I argue that despite the critical roles of noticing and attention in SLA, they are best seen as necessary but not sufficient conditions for L2 learning, playing important roles with other internal and external individual difference factors in modulating the SLA process and outcomes. I conclude the chapter by outlining some possible avenues for future research falling into these lines of inquiry.