Growth in literacy, cognition, and working memory in English language learners

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Linguistics

Background:

• Bilingualism presents unique cognitive challenges for children.
• Understanding the role of working memory in second language acquisition is crucial for educational interventions.
• Previous research has highlighted the importance of working memory components in first language development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the specific components of working memory (WM) that support English reading and language acquisition in Spanish-speaking elementary school children.
• To examine the relationship between growth in WM components and growth in second language (L2) skills over time.
• To determine the relative contributions of different WM components (executive function vs. storage) to L2 development.

Main Methods:

• A cohort sequential study design involving 410 children in Grades 1-3.
• Administration of cognitive (short-term memory [STM], WM, rapid naming, phonological processing), vocabulary, and reading measures in both Spanish and English at three time points over two years.
• Statistical analysis to model the structure of WM and its relationship with L2 acquisition.

Main Results:

• A three-factor structure (phonological STM, visual-spatial WM, verbal WM) effectively modeled WM within both Spanish and English.
• Growth in both executive and STM storage components of WM was uniquely associated with growth in L2 reading and language acquisition.
• The executive component of WM significantly contributed to L2 processing growth, independent of storage, phonological knowledge, inhibition, and naming speed.

Conclusions:

• Growth in the executive component of working memory is a primary driver of second language reading and language acquisition in young bilingual learners.
• While phonological storage is important, the executive functions of working memory play a more critical and independent role in L2 development.
• These findings underscore the importance of targeting executive functions in interventions aimed at improving English language and reading skills in Spanish-speaking children.