Acquisition and learning are technical terms in second language research and pedagogy that have precise meanings unlike general dictionaries. Knowledge of grammar differs from other taught subjects as it is largely subconscious and not accessible through introspection. Native speakers share subconscious linguistic knowledge that is never explicitly taught but acquired, such as phonological and syntactic facts unknown to parents and teachers. The distinction between acquisition and learning has pedagogical implications, with learning requiring conscious introduction of information and acquisition allowing subconscious internalization through exposure.

1. ACQUISITION AND
LEARNING

2. This distinction is pivotal to a great deal of work in second language
acquisition research and pedagogy. When used in professional
discourse in our field, acquisition and learning are technical terms that
are to be used with precise meanings. General-purpose dictionaries are
of little value when discussing the meanings of technical terms, which
correspond to concepts that are beyond the ken of the average lay
person.

3. Knowledge of a grammar differs in important ways from
knowledge of arithmetic, traffic rules, and other subjects
that are taught explicitly at home or in school: it is largely
subconscious and not accessible to introspection.

4. it is easy to find examples of subconscious linguistic knowledge
that is shared by all native speakers but that is never learned or
taught outside of linguistics courses. Parents and teachers, for
the most part, have no conscious awareness of these
phonological and syntactic facts, and could not teach them if
they wanted to
.

5. the distinction has obvious pedagogical implications.
Learning requires the explicit, conscious introduction of
information; acquisition requires the creation of situations
that allow knowledge to be internalized subconsciously.