Implicit Foreign Language Learning: How Early Exposure and Immersion Affect Narrative Competence

This study investigates how short-term naturalistic immersion shapes the development of evaluative narrative competence in Japanese junior high school students learning English as a foreign language. While prior second language acquisition (SLA) research has established the benefits of input-rich environments, little is known about how implicit learning during brief immersion experiences supports higher-order storytelling skills. To address this gap, we analyzed students’ performance on a standardized problem-solving task and a storytelling task before and after a one-month homestay abroad. Results showed significant post-immersion gains in narrative complexity, with longer stories, greater use of causal and evaluative devices, and increased diversity of expression. Regression analysis revealed that the age of first English exposure strongly predicted outcomes: early starters demonstrated broader and more sophisticated use of evaluative strategies than later starters. These findings suggest that short-term immersion can substantially enhance narrative competence, particularly for learners with early exposure, while highlighting the need for tailored pedagogical interventions to help later starters capitalize on implicit learning opportunities.