What type of noticing occurs in the first 6 months of learning a foreign language? A case of an absolute beginner of Turkish

Abstract

The concept of noticing, which emphasizes the role of attention and awareness in language learning, has exerted a strong influence on second language acquisition (SLA) theory and practice. The current research analyzes instances of noticing evident across a 26-week period as the first author, an absolute beginner, was taught Turkish by the second author, a native speaker. All 52 video-conferenced one-to-one lessons were recorded and subsequently thematically analyzed for the learner's noticing of the accusative, dative, locative, and ablative cases at two levels of complexity (single or multiple affix). Six noticing themes were evident and are defined and exemplified with multimodal vignettes and presented as a generalized model. Trends in the occurrence of these noticing themes over the first 6 months of learning are also presented. Discussion focusses on the practical relevance of the types of noticing observed and concludes with directions for future research.