A Dyanmic Study Of Working Memory Of L2Reading Comprehension

For a long time, working memory, a concept raised by Baddeley&Hitch (1974) in the field of cognitive and experimental psychology, is the focus which attracts many western linguists and educators, who have made a lot of theoretical and empirical research. In recent years, on the basis of the existed research results, working memory rapidly penetrates to the field of second language acquisition.Various domestic various studies show that the improvement of working memory capacity has a positive effect on the second language acquisition. But there still has no related research to explore the relationship between each working memory component and second language reading comprehension, and no empirical study to explore the possibility of the teaching innovation of second language reading through working memory training.In view of the shortcomings of the current related research, this study analyzes the effect of each working memory component on second language reading comprehension process (taking the second language reading for example), and further makes an effect analysis after the working memory training. At last, whether the second language reading comprehension performance can be improved by working memory training is concluded from the analysis.In this study,208and106non-English major sophomores in Polytechnic Institute Taiyuan University of Technology are selected to participate in the two experiments respectively. In addition,5non-English major sophomores of the106are selected and volunteered to participate the part of the qualitative analysis.The purpose of the experiment1is to detect which working memory component is involved in the reading process and the extent of participation in that process. The Experiment1adopts the dual-task paradigm, and the collected data processed by one-way ANOVA show that:the phonological loop is involved in information decoding, the literal comprehension and inferential comprehension; the visuospatial sketchpad is involved in a literal comprehension, inferential comprehension and comprehension monitoring; the central executive is involved in information decoding, inferential comprehension and comprehension monitoring; the episodic buffer is involved in literal comprehension and inferential comprehension.In experiment2, this study designs3tests (pre-test, mid-test and post-test). When the pre-test is finished, all subjects participate in working memory training lasting for14weeks. The three tests aim to measure working memory capacity, working memory component capacity and reading comprehension performance before, during and after the working memory training. After the post-test, the data processed by SPSS17.0show that:After the training, working memory capacity, working memory component capacity and reading comprehension performance are all improved to varying degrees.In qualitative analysis, the think-aloud method is adopted. When the auditory data are transcribed and analyzed, a conclusion is obtained which also shows that the performance of the subjects in every aspect has been improved after the working memory training.Combined the results above, this study establishes a structure model by AMOS7.0to explain the detailed relationship between working memory and reading comprehension and further to make a confirmatory factor analysis. Through the final model, the relativity value between working memory and reading comprehension is significant.To sum up, working memory capacity, working memory component capacity and reading comprehension performance can be improved by working memory training. In addition, working memory can pose an effect on each reading comprehension processes by its components, and therefore improve the ability of a specific reading process. This conclusion enriches the achievements of this orientation, and at the same time provides theoretical bases for the classroom teaching of second language reading comprehension.