From this definition, it seems that awareness, in its function of attention, or the lack of it,
plays an extremely relevant role in the conversion of knowledge. While in the declarative
stage the more attention the better, in the procedural stage it is the other way around, less
attention results in better proceduralisation. This also implies a strategy that allows the
learner to decide when she will approach the language from a top-down perspective and
when she will stay using a bottom-up processing approach (Ridley; 1997,64). This
balance is important if we are aware of the fact that
All language users as well as non-native speakers, remain language learners
for as long as they are involved with the language in question (Little; 1997b,228)
According to Johnson, automization can be achieved by what he calls ra-l,
which is his formula to control task grading, ‘ra’ stands for required attention, so
the formula ra-1 indicates the strategy where we consistently put learners
in a position where they have less available (one unit, as it were) than they
actually need to perform a task with comfort (1996,141).
Making reference to Skehan, Bygate and himself, Johnson mentions four factors
to take into account when task grading: degree of form focus, time constraints, affective
factors and cognitive and processing complexities (ibid.).
These three approaches of practice managing were thought in a classroom
practice context. In fact, in the three of them, emphasis is given to the role of the teacher
in controlling the different factors mentioned in each one. The question is to consider if it
is possible to implement this approach in a self-directed scheme. This question was
positively answered in Clemente (1996b). With the belief that self-directed learners need
psycholinguistic tools to manage their studies, I worked with six SAC language learners
in order for them to develop metacognitive strategies. Among other things, they learned
how to analyse the internal and external factors of their performance. In relation to the
internal factors, they recorded, transcribed, analysed and evaluated their oral
performances.
In regards to external factors, they considered all of these that influenced their
performance. The external factors considered were goal, task type, interlocutor, topic and
time. These five factors made up what was called a “psycholinguistic context,,(PC). The
skill they developed consisted of making decisions about the most appropriate
psycholinguistic context to enhance their oral performance. In order to make the right
decision they analysed and discussed four previous personal performances in which the
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