ESL Term:

Learning

ESL/EFL Glossary: A Guide to applied linguistics terminology.

 

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learning: This term presents some confusion because it has different uses in the ESL profession. One meaning is just development or gaining competence in area.

The other meaning is much more specific: In Krashen's acquisition-learning hypothesis, learning involes a conscious study of the form of language. According to Krashen, learning will not lead to rapid, fluent, natural speech.

This does seem to be the case in much of Asia where learners who had excessive training in grammar were unable to engage in the simple conversations.  Happily, the structure of language courses has changed significantly in recent years.