回复: Frequency is unconscious
"frequency is unconscious" was not the argument held by Geoff Leech. He was actually quoting Nick Ellis to introduce an ardent advocate of frequency in relation to SLA, implicit and explicit learning in particular.
The idea that unconscious counting which informs human learning and categorization was set up as a target to argue for or against in a special issue of SSLA in 2002.
I am attaching his target article (key points highlighted) and one of counter-argument papers by Elaine Tarone. If you are interested, you can read the other ten more discussions in the same issue by well-known scholars in SLA.
If you don't have access to the papers, you can read Prof 文秋芳's review of the 2002 special issue published in 现代外语 if I am not mistaken.