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Issues in Applied Linguistics

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Individual Differences in Working Memory Capacity and the Development of L2 Speech Production

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between individual differences in working memory capacity and L2 speech development. Thirty-two undergraduate English as a Foreign Language students participated in this study, which involved two data collection phases, each consisting of a working memory test (the speaking span test) and a speech generation task, with a two-month interval between the two data collections. Participants’ speaking samples were analyzed in terms of fluency, accuracy and complexity. The results show that only lower span individuals demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in working memory capacity and that such improvement was not a function of increased proficiency. In addition, although the speaking span test predicted fluency and complexity in participants’ L2 speech, it was not a good indicator of the development of speech accuracy.

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