The Effects of Working Memory on Second Language Vocabulary Learning

2. Working Memory

Working memory generally refers to the capacity of the human mind that holds information for some seconds. As working memory manipulates information and requires attention, it might be necessary for learners to screen input, focusing on relevant information. Working memory consists of a central executive, phonological loop, and visuospatial sketchpad. Although working memory capacity is somewhat intuitive, it can improve through training (Schwaighofer et al., 2015; Tsai et al., 2016), influencing academic performance and second language acquisition and learning. Teachers may need to help improve learners' working memory by integrating higher-order thinking tasks (Tsai et al., 2016).

Regarding information processing, Schnotz (2014) introduced the integrated text and picture comprehension model in which auditory and visual information enters the human mind through ear and eye registers. Such information is then projected to establish propositional representations to help people form long-term memory. However, this model indicates how information is received and stored in the human mind, but it does not indicate how people retrieve their memory when they use language. According to Amin et al. (2015), Holmes (2012) and Tyler (2012), when people use language, memory retrieval occurs, selecting the language items which they find appropriate.