The Role of Procedural Memory in Adult Second Language Acquisition

Abstract

The Role of Procedural Memory in Adult Second Language Acquisition Katherine A. Brill-Schuetz (kbrill@uic.edu) Department of Psychology, 1007 W. Harrison St. Chicago, IL 60607 USA Kara Morgan-Short (karams@uic.edu) Department of Psychology & Department of Hispanic and Italian Studies, 601 S. Morgan St. Chicago, IL 60607 USA Abstract al. (2014) examined whether individual differences in procedural memory predicted performance on an assessment of L2 syntax (word order) at the end stages of learning an artificial language. Procedural memory was assessed using a composite score across two computerized measures of procedural memory: the Tower of London (TOL; Unterrainer et al., 2004) and the dual-task version of the Weather Prediction Task (WPT; Knowlton, Squire, & Gluck, 1994). Results confirmed that higher procedural memory scores were associated with better performance on an L2 judgment task assessing knowledge of word order. Similarly, Ettlinger et al. (2012) examined the role of procedural memory in the learning of simple and complex, artificial L2 morphophonological rules. Procedural memory was assessed using the TOL task, and results showed that participants who performed better on the TOL also evidenced a mastery of the simple rules at final test. Although these studies lend initial support to the idea of procedural memory being involved in L2 acquisition at later stages, it should be noted that for both of the studies mentioned above, learners were exposed to the L2s under implicit training conditions, which were designed to reflect immersion-like contexts, where explicit rule explanation may not be available. However, not all adult L2 learners are exposed to an L2 under such contexts. Many learners acquire their L2 in classroom contexts where there is frequent, explicit instruction of grammatical rules. Evidence suggests that different learning contexts may have an effect on both L2 learning outcomes (Norris & Ortega, 2000) and on the neurocognitive bases for such outcomes (Morgan- Short, Finger, Grey, & Ullman, 2012; Morgan-Short, Sanz, Steinhauer, & Ullman, 2010; Morgan-Short, Steinhauer, Sanz, & Ullman, 2012). Thus it is important to consider, the role that procedural memory may play in different types of L2 contexts or training conditions. Indeed, one may expect an aptitude-treatment interaction (e.g., Robinson, 2001; Snow, 1991), where procedural memory ability (aptitude) may play a larger role under implicit training conditions as compared to explicit training conditions (treatment). One previous study has provided some preliminary evidence regarding the role of procedural memory in adult L2 development across different learning contexts. Carpenter (2008) examined the role of procedural memory in the development of word order proficiency at the end stages of learning an artificial L2 under either an explicit training condition, where learners were exposed to L2 forms This study examined the role of procedural memory in adult second language (L2) development. Participants were trained on an artificial language under either explicit or implicit conditions. Development in the L2 was assessed by grammar tests at two time points. Measures of procedural memory were administered and were used to create high and low procedural groups. Results revealed an advantage in L2 development for learners with high procedural memory when trained in the implicit condition. Overall, this study suggests that procedural memory may be an important factor in adult L2 development but its role may differ under different learning contexts. Keywords: Adult second language acquisition; Procedural memory; Syntax Introduction A relatively recent line of investigation in second language (L2) research has focused on the role of different types of domain general memory systems in adult L2 acquisition of grammar. Initially research focused on the role of working memory (e.g., Robinson, 2003; Williams, 2012) and now has also begun to examine the role of declarative and procedural memory (Carpenter, 2008; Morgan-Short, Faretta-Stutenberg, Brill-Schuetz, Carpenter, & Wong, 2014). Theories put forth by Ullman (2001, 2004, 2005), Paradis (1994, 2004, 2013), and DeKeyser (2007) have posited that these two types of long-term memory have an important role in language learning and claim that success at advanced stages of L2 development may depend on procedural memory in particular. This claim has received some initial empirical support (Carpenter, 2008; Ettlinger, Bradlow, & Wong, 2012; Morgan-Short, Faretta- Stutenberg, et al., 2014), but the nature of the relationship between procedural memory and L2 development is not entirely clear and is further examined in the present study. Although there are differences among the declarative/procedural-based theories of L2 acquisition (DeKeyser, 2007; Paradis, 1994, 2004, 2009, 2013; Ullman, 2001, 2004, 2005), each theory independently posits that as L2 learners gain exposure, experience, and proficiency with the L2, they come to rely on procedural memory or knowledge, which is generally understood to reflect memory for skills and habits and is a specific subtype of nondeclarative, implicit memory (Squire & Zola, 1996). This idea has already received some support in behavioral studies. For example, Morgan-Short, Faretta-Stutenberg, et