Working memory capacity and L2 speech production in a picture description task with repetition

Finardi, Kyria · 2008 · Crossref

DOI: 10.17851/2237-2083.16.2.129-144

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Summary

This study investigates the relationship between working memory capacity (WMC) and improvements in second language (L2) oral performance during a picture description task involving repetition. Motivated by prior research indicating that WMC predicts L2 speech performance and that task repetition enhances speech complexity at the expense of accuracy and fluency, the author hypothesized that learners with higher WMC would benefit more from repetition by allocating greater attentional resources to complex linguistic structures. The central research question was whether individual differences in WMC correlate with gains in L2 speech production measures under repetition conditions. The study involved twelve intermediate-level English learners who participated in an intact class environment. Data collection utilized two primary instruments: a Speaking Span Test (SST) to measure WMC and a picture description task to elicit speech production. The SST required participants to generate grammatically correct sentences using sets of unrelated words, with scores calculated based on strict and lenient criteria. For the speech task, participants described a busy street scene advertisement in two trials separated by a one-month interval. During the interval, participants reviewed their first-transcription and received vocabulary support. Speech performance was analyzed using four metrics: complexity (dependent clauses per minute), fluency (speech rate), accuracy (errors per 100 words), and lexical density. Statistical analysis included paired t-tests to compare performance between trials and Pearson correlation analyses to examine the relationship between WMC and performance gains. Results indicated significant gains in speech complexity in the second trial compared to the first ($p < 0.05$). However, this improvement in complexity was accompanied by a significant decrease in accuracy, supporting the trade-off hypothesis where learners prioritize complexity over other dimensions. Crucially, no significant correlation was found between individual differences in WMC and the gains in complexity. The only significant correlation observed was between complexity scores in the first and second trials ($r = .702$). Consequently, the hypothesis that higher WMC leads to greater benefits from repetition was not supported. The author attributes the lack of correlation to methodological limitations, specifically the small sample size, which resulted in insufficient variation in WMC scores as most participants fell into the medium span category. Additional factors included participant fatigue from multiple concurrent studies and potential test anxiety. The study concludes that while task repetition effectively enhances L2 speech complexity, the role of WMC in this specific benefit remains unconfirmed due to these constraints. The findings suggest that future research should employ larger samples and multiple measures of WMC to better understand how individual cognitive differences interact with task conditions in L2 acquisition.

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• working memory