Elsevier

Journal of Second Language Writing

Volume 45, September 2019, Pages 31-45
Journal of Second Language Writing

The role of working memory in young second language learners’ written performances

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2019.03.002Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • High L2 writing performance on integrated skills and email task.

  • Grade 7 students do better on Listen-Write and Email tasks than Grade 6 students.

  • Significant effect of cognitive factors is found only for academic editing task.

  • Meaningful but not significant effect for Grade 7 students on the Listen-Write task.

  • Younger learners with high WM showed more consistent performance across tasks.

Abstract

This study investigated the role of working memory (WM) in the second language (L2) writing performance of young English language learners. It also examined how L2 writing achievement relates to task type and grade level and whether the effect of cognitive abilities varies across different task types and grade level. The participants were 94 young learners (Grades 6 and 7) in Hungary, who performed four writing task types as part of the TOEFL® Junior™ Comprehensive test-battery and completed cognitive tests that assessed their WM functions. Participants scored high on the email writing and integrated Listen-Write tasks. Irrespective of WM functions, on average learners in Grade 7 outperformed those in Grade 6 on the Listen-Write task and the Email task. Students gained lower scores on the non-academic version of an editing task than on most other types of tasks. WM functions had no significant relationship with L2 writing scores, except for the academic editing task. In Grade 7, the effect of WM was not significant on the integrated Listen-Write task, but it resulted in the change of expected score. Learners with high working memory in Grade 6 showed somewhat more consistent performance across tasks than did learners with low working memory.

Keywords

Working memory
Young learners
Writing assessment
Testing writing
Individual differences

Cited by (0)

Marije Michel is an assistant professor at Groningen University in the Netherlands and lecturer at Lancaster University. Her research focuses on socio-cognitive aspects of second language acquisition and task based language pedagogy. In her recent work she uses eye-tracking and key-stroke logging to investigate second language writing processes and alignment in written chat interactions.

Judit Kormos is a professor of Second Language Acquisition at the Department of Linguistics and English Language at Lancaster University. Her research interests include the psycholinguistic aspects of speech production, the role of attention and individual variables in language learning and special educational needs in foreign language education.

Tineke Brunfaut is a senior lecturer in the Department of Linguistics and English Language at Lancaster University. Her main research interests are in language testing, and reading and listening in a second/foreign language. She is a recipient of the ILTA Best Article Award, the e-Assessment Best Research award, and the TOEFL Outstanding Young Scholar Award.

Michael Ratajczak is a specialist in multilevel modelling. He completed an MSc in Psychological Research Methods and a BSc in Psychology in Education at Lancaster University. Currently, he is a PhD student in the Department of Linguistics and English Language at Lancaster University, funded by the UK’s Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and by the UK’s National Health Service (NHS).