Grammar as a Cognitive Process: Understanding Advanced Acquisition (Advanced Grammar Series - Part 1)
For advanced learners, grammar is no longer about memorizing rules—it becomes a cognitive journey, a process of internalizing patterns and building complex systems of understanding.
Before I start, I want to take a moment to reflect on today’s date. January 8th marks the 2-year anniversary of an attack to democracy that deeply impacted our country. As educators, it’s our responsibility to ensure that we don’t forget the lessons history teaches us. Moments like these remind us of the importance of critical thinking, empathy, and respect for democratic values—qualities that education can nurture. May this day serve as a call to action: to foster informed, thoughtful individuals who understand the power and fragility of democracy.
(Leia esse post em português)
As educators, it’s essential to explore the deeper mechanisms at play when learners tackle advanced grammar. How do they acquire structures that are nuanced, abstract, and culturally embedded? And how can we, as teachers, support this cognitive development?
Grammar as Pattern Recognition
Advanced grammar acquisition seems to be rooted in pattern recognition. Learners don’t simply memorize isolated rules; they internalize patterns through repeated exposure and use. According to Ellis (2006), grammar learning is fundamentally about the detection of "statistical regularities" in the input. This process involves noticing not just forms but the contexts in which they occur.
For example, a learner might notice the use of present perfect continuous (“I’ve been working on this project for weeks”) in contexts of ongoing effort and gradually internalize the form-function relationship. This implicit learning complements explicit instruction, making it essential for teachers to provide rich, varied input that highlights these patterns.
The Role of Working Memory
Working memory plays a critical role in processing complex grammatical structures. Baddeley’s (2000) model of working memory suggests that learners use both the phonological loop (processing spoken input) and the visuospatial sketchpad (interpreting written forms) to decode grammar. However, the central executive—the system that coordinates attention and integrates information—is what allows learners to manipulate these structures in real time.
For advanced learners, working memory is taxed when processing sentences with embedded clauses or less common structures, such as inversions (“Rarely have I seen such dedication”). Teachers can support this by breaking down these structures into manageable chunks and providing practice that gradually increases cognitive load.
If you want to know more about it, check this nice video:
From Explicit to Implicit Knowledge
One of the biggest challenges for advanced learners is transitioning from explicit knowledge (rules they can articulate) to implicit knowledge (rules they can use effortlessly). DeKeyser (2007) highlights that this transition requires both practice and automatization: Only through extensive use in meaningful contexts can explicit rules become implicit skills.
Tasks like timed writing or spontaneous speaking activities push learners to rely on implicit knowledge, bridging the gap between theory and practice. As teachers, incorporating these tasks into lessons ensures that learners internalize grammar not as a theoretical framework but as a functional tool.
Cultural and Pragmatic Nuances
Grammar at the advanced levels also requires learners to process cultural and pragmatic nuances. For example, the choice between “Could you help me?” and “Would you mind helping me?” isn’t just grammatical—it is social. Learners must grasp the subtle implications of politeness, hierarchy, and context.
This interaction between grammar and culture is one of the elements that makes advanced acquisition so complex. Teachers can support learners by exposing them to authentic materials that reflect these nuances, from emails to interviews.
Implications for Teaching
Understanding grammar as a cognitive process shifts how we teach it. Instead of focusing solely on rules, we emphasize patterns, memory, and usage. Here are a few strategies to consider:
Provide input-rich environments with diverse, contextual examples of grammar in use.
Encourage learners to notice patterns by asking reflective questions like, “What do you observe about how this structure is used here?”
Design tasks that gradually increase cognitive load, such as scaffolding from controlled practice to free production.
Integrate cultural and pragmatic contexts into grammar lessons to deepen learners’ understanding.
Grammar at the advanced level is more than a set of rules—it’s a cognitive journey that involves recognizing patterns, navigating memory constraints, and understanding social contexts. By embracing this complexity in our teaching, we can help learners not just master grammar but use it meaningfully and confidently.
References
Baddeley, A. (2000). “The episodic buffer: A new component of working memory?” In Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 4(11), 417–423.
DeKeyser, R. M. (2007). “Skill Acquisition Theory”. In B. VanPatten & J. Williams (Eds.), Theories in Second Language Acquisition. Routledge, 94-112.
Ellis, N. C. (2006). "Cognitive perspectives on SLA: The Associative-Cognitive CREED". In AILA Review, 19, 100–121.