Working memory capacity and L2 speech performance in planned and spontaneous conditions: a correlational analysis

Guará-Tavares, Maria da Glória

doi:10.1590/s0103-18132013000100002

Cited by 11 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Working Memory (WM) can be defined as the capacity to temporarily store a limited amount of information that is available for manipulation by higher-order cognitive processes, such as language comprehension and production (Baddeley, 2012). Research in both first and second language (L2) acquisition has demonstrated that limitations in WM capacity may constrain the processes involved in language acquisition (Daneman & Green, 1986;Fortkamp, 1999;Gathercole & Baddeley, 1993;Guará-Tavares, 2008;Martin & Ellis, 2012). It has been acknowledged that individuals with higher WM capacity experience fewer difficulties than individuals with lower WM capacity in their attempts to learn an L2 successfully because of their increased aptitude to learn (Linck, Osthus, Koeth, & Bunting, 2014).…”

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confidence: 99%

A Rasch-Validation Study of a Novel Speaking Span Task

Bazan

2020

Shiken

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Working Memory refers to the capacity to temporarily retain a limited amount of information that is available for manipulation by higher-order cognitive processes. Several assessment instruments, such as the speaking span task, have been associated with the measurement of working memory span. However, despite the widespread use of the speaking span task, no study, to the best of my knowledge, has attempted to validate it using Rasch Measurement Theory. Rasch analysis can potentially shed light on the dimensionality of a complex construct such as working memory as well as examine whether a collection of items is working together to construct a coherent and reliable measure of a targeted population. This pilot study reports a Rasch analysis of a novel speaking span task, which was administered individually to 31 Japanese junior high school students and scored using a newly developed scoring system. Two separate analyses were conducted on the task: an analysis of the individual items using the Rasch dichotomous model and an analysis of the super items (sets) using the partial credit model. The results indicate that the task measures a coherent unidimensional latent variable and is thus a useful tool for measuring the construct. Moreover, Rasch analysis was shown to be suitable method for evaluating working memory tests.

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confidence: 99%

A Rasch-Validation Study of a Novel Speaking Span Task

Bazan

2020

Shiken

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“…The cognitive factor investigated in the present study, working memory, has been found to be a robust predictor of second language learning (for recent reviews, see Wen, 2016;Wen et al, 2017;Singleton, 2017), above all in studies on vocabulary and grammar learning (Sanz, Lin, Lado, Stafford & Bowden, 2014). However, few studies (Gilabert & Muñoz, 2010;Guara-Tavarés, 2013;Kormos & Safar, 2008;Kormos, 2012b;Kormos & Trebits, 2011;Mota, 2003;Tagarelli, Ruiz, Moreno & Rebuschat, 2016;Zalbidea, 2017) have examined the relationship between working memory and different dimensions of language performance, namely, complexity (both structural and lexical), accuracy and fluency (henceforth, CAF). Furthermore, these studies have come to mixed results, as will be discussed in more detail below, and they often address only one or two dimensions, with only some studies including the four dimensions of linguistic performance.…”

Section: Background Of the Studymentioning

confidence: 82%

“…On the other hand, attentional resources are limited (among others: Anderson, 1983, Baddeley, 2003Kane & Engle, 2003;Lepsien, Thorntona & Nobrea, 2011;Magimairaj & Montgomery, 2013;Miyake et al, 2000;Paradis, 1993), and different aspects of performance compete for attentional resources (e.g. Guara-Tavarés, 2013;Forthkamp, 1999;Forthkamp & Bergsleithner, 2010;Robinson, 2001;Skehan, 1998). This, for instance, would be the case of the CAF dimensions of linguistic performance investigated in the empirical part of this paper.…”

Section: Background Of the Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

Weighing up the Effects of Working Memory and Cognitive Abilities in CLIL Learning

Sánchez¹

2019

ELT

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In an era of globalization, multilingualism is no longer the exception but the rule. To fully promote the commnicative and functional development of multilingual learners, different educational programs at school have been implemented in the past few years. The study presented here is a contribution in this direction, by investigating the linguistic development in a second foreign language (L3 English) of students who were exposed to asymmetric input exposure in this and another non-native language. This other language was the L2 (German), which the learners (n= 50, 11-13 years old) were studying in a CLIL context together with the native languages of the participants (Spanish and Catalan). Within such a context, the purpose of the study is two-fold. On the one hand, it attempts to investigate the linguistic attainment in the L3, measured in terms of various dimensions of writing performance in a composition task, namely, fluency, accuracy, structural complexity and lexical complexity. On the other hand, the study aimed at exploring the contribution of various components of working memory (short-term memory and attention switching) to performance in these linguistic dimensions. The results suggest that individual differences in storage capacity and in capability for attention and task switching had an effect on the accuracy of the learners' performance, and to a lesser extent, also lexical complexity. Moreover, it was found that in general, attentional abilities had a greater impact than memory. These results are discussed in light of previous findings, while proposing directions for further investigation in the field.

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“…One of the objectives of research in the field of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) is to develop pedagogical strategies that may assist learners to evolve as users of an L2, for the purposes they might wish to do so. A series of studies have shown that providing the opportunity to plan usually exerts a positive impact on learners' productive skills (Foster & Skehan, 1996;Mehnert, 1998;Ortega, 1999;D'Ely, 2006;Guará-Tavares, 2008, 2011, 2013, with gains in performance even if the amount of planning time is minimal (Mehnert, 1998).…”

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confidence: 99%

“…The effects of planning on L2 performance can be analyzed in a number of respects (Mehnert, 1998) and through a number of tasks (Ortega, 1999) focusing on different facets of L2 planning such as task type and complexity (Foster, 1996;Foster & Skehan, 1996); the amount of planning time (Mehnert, 1998); planning processes (Ortega, 1999); planning for repetition (D'Ely, 2006); planning and working memory capacity (Guará-Tavares, 2011, 2013; online planning and self-repair behavior (Ahmadian, 2015); instruction on planning (Specht & D'Ely, 2017); individual versus collaborative planning (Zaccaron, 2018), to cite but a few examples. Despite the plethora of studies, more research is needed to better understand this complex issue.…”

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confidence: 99%

O Planejamento leva à Perfeição? Os Efeitos de Diferentes Condições de Planejamento Pré-Tarefa sobre o Desempenho Oral em L2

Leandro

Weissheimer

2020

Anpoll

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Este artigo reporta um estudo que investigou os efeitos de diferentes condições de planejamento pré-tarefa sobre o desempenho oral em L2. Vinte e seis aprendizes de inglês de um instituto de línguas realizaram uma tarefa oral na qual tiveram de descrever três figuras, cada uma por um minuto, sob as seguintes condições: não-planejamento, planejamento oral e planejamento escrito. O desempenho oral dos participantes foi examinado em termos de fluência (speech rate unpruned e speech rate pruned), acurácia gramatical (erros por 100 palavras) e densidade lexical (proporção de palavras produzidas com propriedades gramaticais e lexicais). As medidas de produção oral foram comparadas estatisticamente de acordo com as condições de planejamento, seguindo um design intra-sujeitos. Os resultados mostram que, em geral, planejar afetou positivamente a performance oral em L2, especialmente a fluência. Os aprendizes realizaram melhor a tarefa quando tiveram pelo menos um minuto para elaborar sua fala quando comparado à condição que não dispunha de tempo de planejamento. Entretanto, ao comparar as condições oral e escrita, uma não se sobressaiu a outra, possivelmente pelo modo como foram operacionalizadas. Interpretado de outra forma, isto pode indicar que o planejamento pré-tarefa seja benéfico independentemente da forma que assuma. Este estudo de pequena escala pode contribuir para discussões teóricas acerca da produção oral em L2 e o tratamento pedagógico do planejamento oral na sala de aula de L2.

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Working memory capacity and L2 speech performance in planned and spontaneous conditions: a correlational analysis

Cited by 11 publications

References 29 publications

A Rasch-Validation Study of a Novel Speaking Span Task

A Rasch-Validation Study of a Novel Speaking Span Task

Weighing up the Effects of Working Memory and Cognitive Abilities in CLIL Learning

O Planejamento leva à Perfeição? Os Efeitos de Diferentes Condições de Planejamento Pré-Tarefa sobre o Desempenho Oral em L2

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