The noticing hypothesis and formulaic language. Learnability of non-salient language forms

The present study addresses the main contention of the Noticing Hypothesis that conscious attention is necessary for successful learning. Arguments are given against the strong version of the hypothesis, under which one cannot acquire new language forms without conscious attention. Foreign learners were tested on their familiarity with formulaic expressions especially selected for their low salience. Additionally, the expressions used were tested for the likelihood of attracting attention. The results suggest that despite their inconspicuousness, such expressions are part of learners' lexical representations. Students' performance was found to correlate with usage patterns found in the input, a strong indication that their lexical representations are shaped by numerous encounters with specific uses of these expressions. It is argued that conscious attention is unlikely in even most, let alone all encounters. While the importance of awareness is not debated here, this study questions conscious attention as a default condition for learning.