The current study examined the effects of workingmemory training on working memory capacity andsecond language ability in adult learners ofSpanish. In order to maximize the effect of the trainingfor language learners, the stimuli for the training taskswere Spanish words and sentences. While the traininggroup did not show greater improvements on workingmemory assessments relative to controls, they did showmore native-like patterns in a Spanish self-paced readingtask. The combination of second language materials withworking memory training may be helping users learn tocope with the increased processing demands associatedwith learning a new language, even if they are notnecessarily improving their working memory.

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has been used to address the symptoms of treatment-resistant depression (Rush et al., 2000) and is proposed to also alleviate anxiety effects (George et al., 2008). Transcutaneous VNS (tVNS) offers a less invasive treatment mechanism for clinical populations; however, little is known about tVNS effects on mood and anxiety in a non- clinical adult population. Using auricular tVNS, the present study showed that 10 minutes of tVNS immediately preceding second-language learning across three consecutive days reduced state negative affect, somatic anxiety, and cognitive anxiety, dependent on task performance and/or trait mood/anxiety.