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

Abstract

This study re-examines the role of working memory 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, including the 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 capacity
• digit span
• word span
• sentence span