Editing Second-language acquisition (section)

=== Cognitive factors ===
Much modern research in second-language acquisition has taken a cognitive approach.{{sfn|VanPatten|Benati|2010|p=5}} Cognitive research is concerned with the mental processes involved in language acquisition, and how they can explain the nature of learners' language knowledge. This area of research is based in the more general area of [[cognitive science]] and uses many concepts and models used in more general cognitive theories of learning. As such, cognitive theories view second-language acquisition as a special case of more general learning mechanisms in the brain. This puts them in direct contrast with linguistic theories, which posit that language acquisition uses a unique process different from other types of learning.{{sfn|VanPatten|Benati|2010|p=71}}{{sfn|Ellis|2008|pp=405–406}}

{{anchor|Computational models}}The dominant model in cognitive approaches to second-language acquisition, and indeed in all second-language acquisition research, is the computational model.{{sfn|Ellis|2008|pp=405–406}} The computational model involves three stages. In the first stage, learners retain certain features of the language input in short-term memory. (This retained input is known as ''intake''.) Then, learners convert some of this intake into second-language knowledge, which is stored in long-term memory. Finally, learners use this second-language knowledge to produce spoken output.{{sfn|Ellis|1997|p=35}} Cognitive theories attempt to codify both the nature of the mental representations of intake and language knowledge and the mental processes that underlie these stages.

In the early days of second-language acquisition research on [[interlanguage]] was seen as the basic representation of second-language knowledge; however, more recent research has taken several different approaches in characterizing the mental representation of language knowledge.{{sfn|Ellis|2008|pp=408–410}} Some theories hypothesize that learner language is inherently variable,{{sfn|Ellis|2008|pp=410–415}} and there is the functionalist perspective that sees the acquisition of language as intimately tied to the function it provides.{{sfn|Ellis|2008|pp=415–417}} Some researchers make the distinction between [[Implicit and explicit knowledge|''implicit'' and ''explicit'' knowledge]], and some between ''declarative'' and ''procedural'' language knowledge.{{sfn|Gass|Selinker|2008|pp=242–243}} There have also been approaches that argue for a ''dual-mode system'' in which some language knowledge is stored as rules and other language knowledge as items.{{sfn|Ellis|2008|pp=431–433}}

{{See also|Implicit and explicit knowledge|}}