Investigating the functions of working memory in aural oral comprehension in EFL college students

Abstract EN

This study investigated the functions and roles of working memory in aural/oral comprehension in college students for predicting reading and listening comprehension of aural and oral discourse.

Therefore, this study seeks to ascertain whether or not cognitive processes of listening and reading comprehension in college students are related to working memory processing and storage operations.

It also seeks to determine whether or not there is a predictive relationship between listening comprehension and reading comprehension as a function of working memory span.

The study in this respect seeks to identify the relationships between reading comprehension, listening comprehension, and working memory.

Two groups of college reading students (30 male students and 22 female students) were presented a working memory measure, followed by aural/oral tests (Wechsler Individual Achievement Test 2nd Edition (WIAT II) as the basis for the comprehension tasks developed for this study and the Woodcock Reading Mastery Test for reading comprehension.

Working memory digit span, word span and sentence span tasks were assessed using the Wechsler Memory Scale, Wais-IV (2009).

These tasks were developed based on a rigorous review of pertinent research.

Experiment procedures included a one-week administration of working memory tasks (digit span, word span and sentence span tasks) before the administration of listening and reading tests.

In actual testing, participants were divided into a listening group and a reading group while they were presented the reading and listening tests orally by the researchers.

During that time, students were completing the listening and reading comprehension tests in an e-learning lab where each participant had been tested individually for all memory and reading/listening tasks.

Results showed that memory spans for digits and words varied to the good of digits.

Principal component analysis showed that five latent factors were valid predictors of working memory span, and consequently, as good predictors of language comprehension.

Multiple regression analysis eventually showed that working memory span is a good predictor of both reading comprehension and listening comprehension.

Recommendations and suggestions for further research were forwarded at the end.