Question Formation and Working Memory Capacity on L2 Reading Comprehension

Abstract

The assessment of reading comprehension is an issue that has motivated a considerable amount of studies. Many of these have shown that the variables of readers’ characteristics, types of texts, subsequent task of reading comprehension and language do influence the way one approaches a text. In this paper, the extent to which the ability to formulate questions about a text correlates with working memory capacity was examined. Eleven L2 (foreign, second, additional language) graduate students performed a reading span test and a reading task which required them to read two expository texts and formulate one question at the end of each paragraph of each of the texts. Results indicated that, although there was not a statistically significant correlation between textually implicit and scripturally implicit questions and working memory capacity, these types of questions were more frequent for those readers with a higher working memory capacity, suggesting that they are more prone to make inferences.

Keywords

• Question formation. Working memory capacity. Reading comprehension. L2.