I Know it, But Do I Know Why?

Abstract

Identifying second language learners’ explicit and implicit linguistic knowledge is essential for researchers in the field of second language acquisition (SLA), since the constructs are in the heart of language acquisition. The difference between the two is generally used to characterize the first and second-language acquisition: where the former involves implicit learning and the latter involves both implicit and explicit learning. Studying explicit and implicit dichotomy can be expanded not only to types of learning but also to types of knowledge and instruction. The aim of this study is to investigate a group of Turkish university students’ explicit and implicit linguistic knowledge and if they are capable of expressing them. Results indicate that even though the participants were able to state grammatical correctness, they failed to state the reason for their decision.