Short term memory in foreign language

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International Journal of PsychologyPublication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~content=t713659663

Phonological Short-term Memory and Foreign Language Learning
Elvira V. Masoura; Susan E. Gathercole

Online publication date: 21 September 2010

To cite this Article Masoura, Elvira V. and Gathercole, Susan E.(1999) 'Phonological Short-term Memory andForeign

Language Learning', International Journal of Psychology, 34: 5, 383 — 388 To link to this Article: DOI: 10.1080/002075999399738 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/002075999399738

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IN TERNATIO NAL JOU RNA L OF PSYCH OLOGY, 1999, 34 (5/6), 383± 388

Phonological Short-term Mem ory and Foreign Language Learning
ElviraV. M asoura and Susan E. Gathercole
University of B ristol, UK

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This study investigated link s between short-term memory skills and children’s abilities to learn the vocabulary of a foreign language taught in school. Forty-® ve G reek children who were learning English as a foreign languagewere assessed on their short-term memory in both languages, and on their knowled ge of both native and foreign vocabulary. Knowledge of native and foreign vocabulary shared highly signi® cant association s with the phonolo gical short-term memory measures. However, vocabula ry scores in the two languages shared a close relation ship that could not be explain ed exclusively in terms of phonologicalloop capacity. Implications of these ® nding s for theoretical accounts of how words are learned in the native and foreign language are considered.    Á  Á Cette e tude explore les liens entre les habilete s de me moire a court ter me et la capacite des enfants a apprendre le  Á     Á vocabula ire d’ une langue e trange re. Quarante-cin q enfants grecs ont e te e value s au plan de leurme moire a court terme et de leur connaissance du vocabula ire dans les deux langues (grec et anglais). La connaissance du vocabula ire dans les deux langues est fortement associe e aux mesures de me moire a court terme phonologique. Cependant, me me si la relation   Á à Á  entre les deux scores de connaissance du vocabula ire est tre s forte, celle-ci ne peut eà tre expliqu e e exclusivement enterme de capacite de la boucle phonolo gique. La discussion porte sur les implication s de ces re sultats pour des hypothe ses the oriques   Á   Á expliqu ant l’ apprentissage des mots dans une langue maternelle et dans une langue e trange re.

Recent research has revealed a clo se link between language acq uisition and the capacity of the verbal co mponent o f working me mory, th e phon...