I still can't questions : the role of working memory in the longitudinal development of L2 English questions in an immersion setting
This study adds to the growing body of research into the connection between greater working memory (WM) capacity and L2 development, by investigating correlations between WM and development of accurate wh-movement in L2 English in an immersion setting. Five WM tests were used (including Digits Back, Listening Span), with the addition of innovative story recall tasks, using both L 1 and L2, to test the concept of the episodic buffer in the latest model ofWM (Baddeley 2000). Three target wh-constructions were tested: short-distance and long-distance wh-questions, and subjacency violations. Development of the target wh-constructions was tracked in a longitudinal study of thirty-two instructed Chinese speakers of English during a year's postgraduate study at universities in the UK. Participants were matched for proficiency level (IELTS 5.5 or above) and for L2 exposure in their home countries before arrival. Oral production data, timed grammaticality judgement data and WM data were collected on arrival and again after 11 months, and compared using statistical analysis. Significant positive correlations were found between Story Recall in LI and improvement between Time 1 and Time 2: both with improved oral question
Wright, Clare
I still can't questions : the role of working memory in the longitudinal development of L2 English questions in an immersion setting. This study adds to the growing body of research into the connection between greater working memory (WM) capacity and L2 development, by investigating correlations between WM and development of accurate wh-movement in L2 English in an immersion setting. Five WM tests were used (including Digits Back, Listening Span), with the addition of innovative story recall tasks, using both L 1 and L2, to test the concept of the episodic buffer in the latest model ofWM (Baddeley 2000). Three target wh-constructions were tested: short-distance and long-distance wh-questions, and subjacency violations. Development of the target wh-constructions was tracked in a longitudinal study of thirty-two instructed Chinese speakers of English during a year's postgraduate study at universities in the UK. Participants were matched for proficiency level (IELTS 5.5 or above) and for L2 exposure in their home countries before arrival. Oral production data, timed grammaticality judgement data and WM data were collected on arrival and again after 11 months, and compared using statistical analysis. Significant positive correlations were found between Story Recall in LI and improvement between Time 1 and Time 2: both with improved oral question
still question role work_memory longitudinal development english question immersion setting study add_grow body connection great work_memory capacity development investigate correlation development accurate wh_movement english immersion setting test use include back listening span addition innovative story recall task use test concept episodic buffer late model target test short distance long_distance wh_questions violation development target track longitudinal_study thirty instruct chinese speaker_english year postgraduate study university participants match proficiency_level exposure home country arrival oral production data time grammaticality_judgement data data_collect arrival compare use_statistical analysis significant positive correlation find story recall improvement time time improve oral question