The role of L1 and L2 working memory in literal and inferential comprehension in L2 reading

Abstract

Reading span as a measure of L1 or L2 working memory capacity is shown to be related to L2 reading comprehension. Albeit limited, there is research on the relationship between both L1 and L2 reading spans and their roles in L2 reading comprehension, yet these studies take reading as a global construct rather than delving into its multi-level representational architecture. This study differentiates itself from previous research in that it investigates the relationship of both L1 and L2 reading spans to L2 reading comprehension, while taking into account two reading dimensions, namely, literal understanding and inferential comprehension. Findings reveal no significant difference between L1 and L2 storage capacities, although task processing in L1 is more accurate compared to that in L2. Generally, L1 and L2 processing tasks correlate positively as do L1 and L2 stoarge tasks. Finally, only L2 reading span has a meaningful relationship with L2 inferential comprehension.

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