Mental Lexicon, Working Memory and L2 Vocabulary in Polish Students with and without Dyslexia

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by jay

The study examines links between access to the mental lexicon, verbal working memory, and English (L2) vocabulary knowledge in Polish students. Analyses compare monolingual Polish speakers with dyslexia (26) and without dyslexia (24) who learn English as a compulsory second language. Results show dyslexic students have deficits in the speed of accessing information from the mental lexicon, while memory predicts vocabulary more clearly in the control group. Poor vocabulary limits reading comprehension and writing and speaking skills.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages19

Reading Time48 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Dyslexia definition and linguistic impacts

Theoretical basis connecting L1 and L2 learning

Role of vocabulary and memory in reading comprehension

Mental lexicon and dual-route reading theory

Mental Lexicon, Working Memory and L2 (English) Vocabulary in Polish Students with and without Dyslexia Marta Łockiewicz*1 and Martyna Jaskulska2 • The aim of our study was to examine the relationship between access to the mental lexicon, working memory and knowledge of English (L2) vocabulary. Analyses were undertaken amongst monolingual speakers of Polish (26 with dyslexia, 24 without) who studied English as a second language as part of their compulsory educational programme at school. We assumed that students with dyslexia would manifest deficits in access to the mental lexicon and verbal working memory, and would have a limited L2 vocabulary. We also assumed that better access to the mental lexicon facilitates knowledge of English (L2) vocabulary, and that this relationship is present in both the criterion and the control group. All of the students participated in both parts of the assessment, the group part (i.e., questionnaire, IQ test, two vocabulary tasks) and the individual part (i.e., psychological measures: verbal working memory, RAN, verbal fluency, and single word reading in L1 task) . We found that students with dyslexia exhibited deficits in the speed of access to data from the mental lexicon. The predictive function of memory for vocabulary was more conspicuous in the control group; in the criterion group, the result might constitute a risk factor for L2 vocabulary acquisition in dyslexia, which may manifest with increased proficiency in word knowledge. Poor vocabulary knowledge renders the L2 learning experience difficult, as it impairs students’ reading comprehension, writing and conversational skills. Keywords: dyslexia, English as L2, vocabulary, mental lexicon, working memory 1 *Corresponding Author. University of Gdansk, Social Sciences Department, Gdańsk, Poland; [psymlo@univ.gda.pl](psymlo@univ.gda.pl) 2 University of Gdansk, Gdańsk, Poland Mentalni leksikon, delovni spomin in besedišče v tujem jeziku (J 2) (angleščina) poljskih učencev z disleksijo oz. brez nje Marta Łockiewicz* in Martyna Jaskulska • Namen raziskave je bil preveriti povezave med dostopom do mentalnega leksikona, delovnega spomina in poznavanjem angleškega (J 2) besedišča. V raziskavo so bili vključeni enojezični govorci poljščine (26 z disleksijo in 24 brez disleksije), ki so se učili angleščino kot drugi jezik kot del obveznega izobraževalnega programa v šoli. Avtorji so predvidevali, da se bo pri učencih z disleksijo pojavil primanjkljaj pri dostopanjudo mentalnega leksikona in besednega delovnega spomina ter da bodo imeli omejeno besedišče J 2. Prav tako so predvidevali, da boljše dostopanje do mentalnega leksikona omogoča lažjo uporabo znanja besedišča J 2 (angleščine) in da je ta povezanost prisotna pri učenci z disleksijo in tistih brez nje. Vsi učenci so sodelovali v obeh delih ocenjevanja; v skupinskem delu (npr. vprašalnik, IQ-test, dve nalogi s področja besedišča) in individualnem delu (npr. psihološke meritve: besedni delovni spomin, RAN, besedna tekočnost in naloga branja posameznih besed v domačem jeziku (J 1)). Raziskava je pokazala, da se pri učencih z disleksijo kažejo primanjkljaji pri hitrosti dostopanja do podatkov v mentalnem leksikonu. Napovedna funkcija pomena spomina za besedišče je bila očitnejša vskupini učencev brez disleksije; rezultati skupine učencev z disleksijo bi lahko kazali na to, da disleksija predstavlja dejavnik tveganja pri pridobivanju besedišča v J 2, kar se lahko manifestira z višjo usposobljenostjona področju poznavanja besed. Slabo poznavanje besedišča oteži učenje J 2, ker poslabša učenčevo bralno razumevanje ter pisne in konverzacijske spretnosti. Ključne besede: disleksija, angleščina kot J 2, besedišče, mentalnileksikon, delovni spomin Introduction According to the International Dyslexia Association (Lyon Reid, Shaywitz, & Shaywitz, 2003)“dyslexia is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abiliti

FAQs

What is the main aim of the study?

To examine the relationship between access to the mental lexicon, working memory, and knowledge of English (L2) vocabulary in Polish students.

How did the dyslexia group differ from the control group?

Students with dyslexia showed deficits in the speed of accessing information from the mental lexicon, while memory’s predictive function for vocabulary was clearer in the control group.

Why does vocabulary knowledge matter for L2 learning?

Limited vocabulary knowledge makes L2 learning difficult because it impairs reading comprehension and also affects writing and conversational skills.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by jay