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Article published In:
Journal of Second Language Studies
Vol. 1:1 (2018) ► pp.79–105

Effects of second language proficiency and working memory span on novel language learning

| University of Arizona
| University of Arizona

In this paper we examine the effects of prior language learning experience and working memory capacity on learning a novel language. Participants with a range of proficiency in a second language were trained on a third language. They were presented with 20 Turkish words (to test word-learning) and their plural counterparts (to test rule-learning). After training, participants were asked to judge whether a given label correctly matched the pictured object (comprehension) and to verbally produce the correct label for a given object (production). The comprehension test took place immediately after training and again a week later. The production test was administered after the second comprehension test. We found that performance on the initial comprehension test was predicted by working memory span but not L2 proficiency; L2 proficiency predicted learning performance only for the delayed tests. This suggests that the two variables – L2 Proficiency and Working Memory – play different roles in L3 learning.

Keywords: language learning, bilingualism, second language acquisition (SLA), proficiency, language production, assessment, working memory
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Bilingualism and L3 learning
  • Working memory and learning
  • Bilingualism and working memory
  • The present study
  • Method
    • Participants
    • Materials and procedures
      • Measures of learner characteristics
        • Proficiency tests
        • Working memory test
      • Language learning task
        • Training
      • Language learning measures
        • Immediate comprehension test
        • Additional comprehension test
        • Delayed comprehension test
        • Production test
  • Results
    • Measures of learner characteristics
    • Correlations between learner characteristics and language learning tests
      • Number of trainings
      • Comprehension tests and production tests
      • Vocabulary learning
        • Immediate comprehension test
        • Delayed comprehension test
        • Production test
      • Rule learning
        • Immediate comprehension test
        • Delayed comprehension test
        • Production test
      • Session 1 vs. session 2
      • Singular and plural forms
  • Discussion
    • Word learning
  • Rule learning
  • Comprehension vs. production
  • Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References


This article is currently available as a sample article.

Published online: 7 May 2018
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/jsls.17025.zav
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