Investigating the relative contributions of working memory training and interactive book reading to vocabulary development in primary school pupils

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K16877
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Foreign language education
• Research Institution: Saga University
• Principal Investigator: Hayashi Yuko 佐賀大学, 教育学部, 准教授 (10649156)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: ワーキングメモリトレーニング / ワーキングメモリ / 外国語教育

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The current two-part study investigated the relative contributions of five-week interactive storybook reading (IBR) and computerised working memory training (WMT) to foreign language vocabulary development in primary school pupils. In Part I, IBR was implemented with a cohort of Year 4 pupils (n=32). The results showed that the pupils' English ability, as measured by a listening test, did not increase significantly at posttest. In Part II, a Year 5 cohort of 91 pupils participated, of whom 35 pupils received five weeks of WMT. The remaining pupils completed pre- and post-training assessment alone. The results revealed that the WMT group's scores on the English ability test were higher than the control group's scores. The effects of the single (WMT or IBR) or the dual intervention (WMT + IBR) have yet to be established, however, as the WMT group's scores, which were higher than the IBR group's scores, did not differ significantly from either the control group or the dual group.

Free Research Field

応用言語学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

ワーキングメモリは課題遂行に向けて情報を一時的に保持しつつ，その情報を処理する機能を果たす目標指向型の記憶システムである。例えば，読み手は文章理解のために読んだ内容と既存の知識を絶えず照らし合わせ，リアルタイムでの情報処理を行う。今日の外国語教育において，４技能を統合的に活用して互いの考えや気持ちを即興且つ創造的に伝え合う力の育成が目指されている。ワーキングメモリトレーニングを実施することにより，外国語による言語課題の遂行を支えるワーキングメモリ容量の個人差と外国語能力の発達の因果関係を明らかにできる点において学術的意義があるほか，個に応じた指導支援の提案にもつながり，教育的意義も大きい。