Comparing Game-based and Grammar-translation methods: the simple present tense in A1-A2 learners of English

Memory is a change occurring as a result of experience (learning) that allows the organism to alter future behaviour based on past experience. When we learn a foreign language, it is common to have the feeling of not remembering words or how to speak. But as soon as we are in an international environment we start speaking, often to our great surprise. This depends on many factors. Firstly, there is a whole variety of memories. Memory is not a single faculty of the mind, there are different forms of it and it also depends on a different brain system.
When we receive an input, it is first processed by the sensory memory. For example, someone is talking to us moving his hands. The sensory memory allows a first elaboration of the environment on the basis of our senses. It holds the information of sounds (noises and words), and the visual image of the person speaking in front of us for a timeframe that does not exceed three seconds. Then, the input is cancelled, if it is not important, or transferred to other memory registers where it is elaborated in a deeper way. Its function is to extend the time of input for some seconds longer than the sensory exposure so that the brain can have the time to select what has to be further processed.

Then, the information is processed by the working memory. It is the type of memory that holds information temporarily. The selective attention is activated to identify the relevant aspects (e.g. the word “hello” and shaking hands) of the input and inhibiting the distractors (noises, other people walking on the street). The input can be held for a time span that doesn't exceed thirty seconds. Also, the amount of information that can be held is limited. Its function is essential for the first elaboration of information, but it is not enough to deeply internalise the items.
At this point, two different memories can be activated: the explicit memory, or the implicit memory (Aglioti, Fabbro, 2006).
The explicit, or declarative, memory is the conscious ability to remember facts and events. It is perceived to be the most important one because we mostly rely on it. It allows us to remember events (episodic memory) or declarative knowledge, information, notions (semantic memory). In the language learning context, it is mostly used to memorise words (Cardona, 2001), as well as grammar rules (metalanguage).

The hippocampus plays an important role in the explicit memorisation process. Input is stored in the hippocampus for a couple of days before consolidating, that is moving to other parts of the brain for long-term storage. It is part of the limbic system, responsible for our emotional life. Thus, information is transferred from the working memory to the cortex according to the emotional impact that the input triggers (see Motivation and emotion paragraph). In the learning process, the explicit memory is activated consciously, requiring a high level of attention and willpower. Learners can consciously explain what they are learning, they have to keep focused for a long period of time, and no information can be learnt without their willingness.
The implicit, or nondeclarative, memory is the unconscious ability to acquire skills. Thanks to this memory we remember how to perform everyday tasks. It doesn't require conscious thought and we create this type of memory through constant practice of a skill until our neural system is able to perform the task on autopilot. For example, if we consider the action of walking, we can't consciously explain how we learnt it, but we can demonstrate we can walk. In the language learning context, this memory helps the learner to interiorise language routine, the language permanently associated with actions that frequently occurs in a specific context. Going back to our example, after watching people shaking hands and saying “hello” many times, the implicit memory will store this input and reuse it automatically any time that a similar situation occurs. It also plays an important role in the memorisation of phonological and morphological aspects of a language (Fabbro, 2004). In the learning process, the implicit memory simultaneously acquires information casually, unconsciously, with minimal levels of attention. It means that inputs are not acquired according to specific sequences. The memorisation occurs without realising it and most of the time, without being able to explain the process. A lot of effort is also not required to focus on the input and keep the level of attention higher. But it is possible to internalise input while doing other activities.

The neuroscience shows aspects of memory system that language teaching methods have to consider in order to facilitate the language learning process. Methods that combine a variety of techniques can better influence the memory processes of the learners. For instance, to remember a list of words linked to a topic it might be useful to stimulate different senses (sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste) (Daloiso, 2005), as well as create associations (grouping, ordering, comparing, contextualising), and include systematic repetitions during the lesson (regular repetitions every twenty minutes, mechanical repetitions of words lists). The variety of input can increase the probability of neurons firing together.

Explicit memory is tightly connected with emotions. In the following paragraph emotions and motivation processes are described from a neuropsychological point of view.