The Declarative/Procedural Model

By Michael T. Ullman. Theories in Second Language Acquisition, 2020

116 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Most research on the neurobiology of language focuses on language alone. However, new biological functions commonly make use of previously existing mechanisms. Thus, language likely relies on previously existing neurobiological substrates, whether or not these have become further specialized for language. The declarative/procedural model posits that language learning, storage, and use depend heavily on declarative and procedural memory. After all, most, if not all, of language must be learned, and these are the two most important learning and memory systems in the brain. Crucially, both systems are well-studied at many levels in humans and animals, leading to numerous independent predictions about language. Here, I first present background on the neurobiology of the two systems, then lay out ensuing predictions for language, and finally examine evidence testing these predictions. The evidence suggests that language indeed depends on declarative and procedural memory, moreover in interesting and informative ways that advance our understanding of the neurobiology of language.

Subfields: Cognitive Neuroscience, Developmental and Educational Psychology

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/9f59a762eb36f50138bb2d5c51b54208f9453a2f