Effects of Variations in Reading Span Task Design on the Relationship Between Working Memory Capacity and Second Language Reading

Abstract

Relationships between working memory (WM)—measured by reading span tasks (RSTs)—and second language (L2) reading are explored by probing the effects of differences in secondary task design (semantic vs. morphosyntactic) and the language of the task (first or second). Participants were 98 Turkish late adult learners of English as an L2 with moderate proficiency in the language. They completed a reading comprehension test in English and four RSTs (two in Turkish, two in English) whose processing tasks required judging whether there was an anomaly, morphosyntactic or semantic, depending on the RST. Exploratory factor analysis indicated that the storage component of span tasks loaded on the same factor, suggesting that storage is task‐ and language‐independent. By contrast, L2 learners' processing was affected by the linguistic nature of the task and the language in which it was presented. Additionally, findings point to a significant relationship between L2 reading and learners' storage capacity. As for processing, resources underlying L1 and L2 semantic and L2 morphosyntactic processes contribute to L2 reading, unlike those underlying L1 morphosyntactic processes. These findings attenuate the notion of construct equivalency in WM measurement through RSTs, dependent on secondary task type and language used.