Verbal Working Memory but Not Attention Is Related to Language Proficiency: Evidence from Multilingual Speakers

Abstract

Introduction Verbal working memory (WM) is defined as the ability to temporarily store verbal information, with or without further manipulation of this information, in order to fulfill cognitive tasks such as language processing or reasoning (Baddeley, 1992). This ability has been considered to also play a crucial role in the acquisition of new verbal information, such as during native and second language learning (e.g., Baddeley, Gathercole, & Papagno, 1998). A large number of studies have shown reliable associations between verbal WM and lexical learning abilities as involved in native language or foreign language vocabulary learning (e.g., Gathercole,

Second Language Implicit and Explicit Knowledge as Indicator of Language Proficiency and Predictor of Working Memory

“…As for the findings of this study concerning the association between L2 implicit and explicit knowledge and working memory capacity, the positive statistically significant correlations that were captured supported the results attained by Prebianca et al (2014) who confirmed a robust association between L2 proficiency and WMC. Our results were also in agreement with Bouffier et al (2020) who confirmed a strong correlation between verbal WM and non-native language proficiency. The findings further agreed with Awwad & Tavakoli (2022) This study promoted L2 implicit and explicit knowledge as predictors of working memory capacity.…”

“…The findings endorsed WM as a strong predictor of anaphoric sentences comprehension, and that variation in participants' anaphoric sentences comprehension could be explained by variation in LP and WM. Bouffier et al (2020) investigated the relationship between attention, verbal working memory and language proficiency. The participants were 72 language learners who spoke Luxembourgish as a mother tongue and German and French as foreign languages.…”