Individual Differences in Working Memory Capacity and the Development of L2 Speech Production

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" Individual Differences in Working Memory Capacity and the Development of L2 Speech Production "
Weissheimer, Janaina; Mota, Mailce B

Document Type	:	AL
Record Number	:	930482
Doc. No	:	LA7tz0f9xw
Language of Document	:	English
Main Entry	:	Weissheimer, Janaina; Mota, Mailce B
Title & Author	:	Individual Differences in Working Memory Capacity and the Development of L2 Speech Production [Article]\ Weissheimer, Janaina; Mota, Mailce B
Title of Periodical	:	Issues in Applied Linguistics
Volume/ Issue Number	:	17/2
Date	:	2009
Abstract	:	This study investigates the relationship between individual differences in working memory capacity and L2 speech development. Thirty-two undergraduate English as a Foreign Language students participated in this study, which involved two data collection phases, each consisting of a working memory test (the speaking span test) and a speech generation task, with a two-month interval between the two data collections. Participants’ speaking samples were analyzed in terms of fluency, accuracy and complexity. The results show that only lower span individuals demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in working memory capacity and that such improvement was not a function of increased proficiency. In addition, although the speaking span test predicted fluency and complexity in participants’ L2 speech, it was not a good indicator of the development of speech accuracy.