This is a proposal to be omplemented to help our students to mprove their learning skills of English through implicit learning.

1. PONTIFICIA UNIVERSIDAD CATÓLICA DEL ECUADOR SEDE IBARRA
ESCUELA DE LENGUAS YLINGUÍSTICA
MAESTRÍA EN LINGÜÍSTICA A PLICADA A LA ENSEÑANZA BILINGÜE ESPAÑOL-INGLÉS
PSYCHOLINGUISTICS
RESEARCH PLAN STRUCTURE
1. Name of the Project
2. Problem identified
3. Justification(Background)
4. General Objective
5. Specific Objectives
6. Main impacts
7. Methodology
8. Chronogram of activities
9. Resources
10. Sources of information
11. Annexes
TOPIC: IMPLICIT LEARNING

2. Berry and Dienes said (1993) “learning is implicit when we acquire new information without
intending to do so”. It contains no formal instruction.
1. Name of the Project
a) What is the best name for the research to be developed?
Question: How to help students to improve their learning of English using implicit learning?
Answer: Total immersion as a tool to help students to improve their learning of English
2. Problem identified
After 8 levels at the University and at least 6 years of high school our students are not able
to get the B2 standard.
b). what teaching process can be improved through psycholinguistic key concepts?
1. Exposure
2. Application
3. Feedback
4. Correction
b) What teaching methods contradict psycholinguistic key concepts?
1. Grammar-translation method (lesson is conducted in English and Spanish)
2. Teacher-centered method ( students are passive)
c) What mother tongue features are transferred to the foreign language?
1. Phonology
2. Order of the elements of a sentence
3. False cognates

3. d) What foreign language structures can´t be correctly used?
Those whose use is different in the target language: gender, number, pronouns, prepositions, articles,
verb tenses, question formation, negation.
e) How is learning impaired by learner´s language disorders?
f) How is learning impaired by learner´s age?
Younger is better . People learn languages easily when they are young because of the social context and
the brain plasticity. “” The younger the learner’s , the better he acquires the language without selfconsciousness at an early stage”
g) How is learning affected by learner´s gender?
Women





Tend to be more auditory;
Self-motivated;
Conforming;
Authority-oriented;
Are able to sit at a conventional desk with chair with minimal movement; and

4.  Tend to need a more quiet environment
Men





Tend to be more visual, tactual and kinaesthetic
Need more mobility
Prefer a more informal environment
Typically are more nonconforming
Are peer-motivated
b. Justification (Background): Why has this happened?
Reasons.
1. Sometimes, lessons are not conducted in English, the input is not optimal enough
2. There is a lack of audiovisual aids
3. Teachers are afraid of using technology
4. There are large classes
5. The curriculum is focussed on grammar not on functions and it is not developed
according to the students needs.
6. Some authorities are not supportive enough
7. Some teachers depend on the textbooks
8. Some textbooks do not present authentic English
9. Time is not enough to help students to master the kind of questions of the international
exams
10. The number of hours per day is excessive
11. There are no agreements with Universities abroad to have exchange programs
4. General Objective: What must be done in a general sense?
To improve students learning of English through implicit learning in an English environment

5. 5. Specific Objectives: what must be done in a particular/specific sense?
1. To make students aware of the benefits of staying in an English environment to improve their learning
2. To encourage students to practice English with native speakers
3. To develop listening and speaking skills in an English environment
6. Main impacts: How will this project benefit some specific institution/method/outcome?
Institution
The level of English will be better and the institution will get prestige in Quito
Method
The whole methodology will help students to improve through a combination of explicit learning and
implicit learning.
Outcome
We will get the expected outcome according to the international standards (B2)
7. Methodology: How will it be done/achieved/fulfilled?
Students will be encouraged to visit the Rhiannon Community first one day after that during one month
like volunteers.
People in charge of the Community and teachers will get a consensus about the activities to be carried
out in the community. ( implicit and explicit learning)
Teachers will present a project to promote a total immersion of the students in an English environment
during a month (vacations)
Teachers will check how much students have learned in terms of : pronunciation, syntax, vocabulary,
semantics, pragmatics , cultural issues.
8. Chronogram of activities: what activities will be performed? Howlong will it take?
ACTIVITY
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12

6. 1.Conversations about the benefits of
x
x
staying in an English environment,
Malchinguí and Rhiannon Community
2. Conversations between teachers of
x
English of ESPE and Ms. Helen Bicknel,
the leader of Rhiannon Community
3.Design and presentation of the
x
project
4. Authorization by the authorities
x
5. First visit to the community (1 day)
x
6.Second visit to the community (1
x
x
x
x
month at least)
7.Feedback and evaluation of the
experience
8. Students will take the FCE
x
9. Analysis and comparison of the
x
results
10 Presentation of a report to the
x
authorities
9. Resources: What will be required to do it?
ACTIVITY
(NUMBER)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
RESOURCE
Speeches to motivate students, internet
Transportation to visit Malchinguí
Meetings, internet, paper
Document
Transportation, food
Transportation, food, accommodation
Meeting with students
Exams
Meeting and results of the exams
Paper, computer

7. 10. Sources of information
Malchinguíhttp://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malchingui
Rhiannon Community http://directory.ic.org/21978/Rhiannon_Community
Implicit learning
1.IMPLICIT LEARNING IN SECONDLANGUAGE ACQUISITION
John N. Williams
2. Implicit Learning and Second Language Acquisition
RozáliaEszterIvády
ImpLab Association, Budapest &
Budapest Technical University,
Cognitive Science Phd Program
1111, Budapest, Stoczekutca 2.
ivady@cogsci.bme.hu
http://www.implab.org
11. Annexes
1. Letter to the authorities of ESPE
2. Project
3. Exams
4. Final report
Prepared by Gladys Ortiz and Rocío Ortega A.