Working memory as a predictor of reading and listening comprehension in EFL college students - A reinvestigation

Oct 15, 2026

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This study re-examines how working memory (WM) predicts aural/oral comprehension in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) college students, extending prior research. It tests the relationship between WM span and both reading and listening comprehension, emphasizing differential contributions of WM components. A total of 200 students (100 female, 100 male) completed WM tasks and standardized WIAT II reading and listening tests. Hierarchical regression shows WRMT-III Passage Comp. as a robust predictor across genders, with no gender score differences.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages20

Reading Time50 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Gender and WM in language comprehension

Research aims and hypotheses

Australian Journal of Applied Linguistics ISSN 2209-0959 [https://www.castledown.com/journals/ajal/](https://www.castledown.com/journals/ajal/) Australian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 7 (3), 1–20 (2024) [https://doi.org/10.29140/ajal.v7n3.2076](https://doi.org/10.29140/ajal.v7n3.2076) Working memory as a predictor of reading and listening comprehension in EFL college students: A reinvestigation MOHAMED AMIN MEKHEIMER, PhD Faculty of Education, Beni Suef University, Egypt Abstract This study re-examines the role of working memory (WM) in aural/oral comprehension among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) college students, building upon previous research (Aldosari & Mekheimer, 2018). The investigation aims to determine the predictive relationship between working memory span and both reading and listening comprehension skills, with a particular focus on understanding whether specific working memory components contribute differentially to comprehension abilities. A sample of 100 female and 100 male EFL college students participated. Participants were administered working memory tasks, includingthe WRMT-III Passage Comp. subtest, followed by standardized reading and listening comprehension tests (WIAT II) . Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that the WRMT-III Passage Comp. subtest was a powerful predictor of both reading and listening comprehension, consistently across genders. This subtest made a significant unique contribution to predicting comprehension skills even when controlling for other working memory components. T-tests revealed no significant differences in comprehension scores between male and female participants. The study highlights the crucial role of working memory in EFL college students’aural/oral comprehension and underscores the potential of the WRMT-III Passage Comp. subtest as a valuable tool for assessing working memory skills relevant to language learning. Further research examining the influence of individual working memory components on specific comprehension skills is recommended. Keywords: working memory; aural/oral comprehension; memory span; digit span; word span; sentence span Introduction Working memory (WM), a dynamic cognitive system that actively processes and stores information, plays a crucial role in a range of cognitive tasks, including language comprehension (Baddeley, 2017) . This dynamic system, as conceptualized in Baddeley’s model of WM (Baddeley, 2012), involves multiple components that work together to hold and manipulate information, including the phonological loop, the visuospatial sketchpad, and the central executive. While research has extensively explored the relationship between WM and comprehension (e.g., Carretti et al., 2013; Daneman & Merikle, 1996; Farnia & Geva, 2013; Kim, 2014; 2006), the specific influence ofWM in predicting reading and listening comprehension within English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts remains under-explored (Bunting & Wen, 2023; Jiang & Farquharson, 2018) . This is particularly important because EFL learners face unique challenges with listening comprehension, often struggling with unfamiliar accents, vocabulary, or grammatical structures. The transient nature of auditory input requires greater reliance on WM to hold information and make connections before it fades away, potentially placing a greater demand on specific WM components such as the phonological loop (Baddeley, 2012) . Furthermore, understanding the potential influence of gender on this relationship is critical. While some research suggests similar cognitive functions between genders (Upadhayay, 2014), other studies have reported contradictory findings regarding gender differences in WMand language comprehension. For instance, Andreassen and Bråten (2009) found that girls outperformed boys in reading comprehension, attributing this to superior verbal WM skills. However, Bourke and Adams (2012) found no significant gender differences in WM capacity but

FAQs

What does the study investigate about working memory in EFL students?

The study re-examines whether working memory capacity predicts both reading and listening comprehension, and whether specific WM components contribute differently to these skills.

How was working memory measured and how were comprehension skills assessed?

Participants completed working memory tasks including the WRMT-III Passage Comp. subtest, followed by standardized reading and listening comprehension tests (WIAT II).

What were the key findings regarding the role of the WRMT-III Passage Comp. subtest and gender differences?

The WRMT-III Passage Comp. subtest strongly predicted both reading and listening comprehension across genders and added unique predictive value beyond other WM components. T-tests showed no significant comprehension score differences between male and female participants.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Kurz