working memory

Motivation and affect as two salient variables in L2 development are no longer seen as the stable individual difference factors they were once believed to be. Influenced by process-oriented approaches and by increasing understanding of how the complex dynamic system theory (CDST) works, researchers have been emphasizing the holistic, non-modular, dynamic and changeable nature of motivation and affect to-date. Accordingly, this study utilized the principles underlying the CDST perspective to examine the interrelationships between Iranian EFL learners’ motivational and affective factors mediated by working memory and gender over an academic semester. To this end, 445 pre-intermediate male and female students completed the motivation questionnaire and L2 Enjoyment Scale four times with one-month intervals during an academic semester and Working Memory Scale once in the beginning of the term. Relationships that emerged indicated both motivational and affective stability and fluctuation over a semester of instruction at one month intervals. The findings also illustrated how these factors are inseparable from students’ learning context. Implications of study and directions for further research were also discussed.

This study investigates the impact of computerized dynamic assessment (C-DA) on grammar learning among Iranian EFL learners, focusing on the moderating role of working memory (WM). A nonrandomized pretest-posttest control group design was employed, with 60 male learners aged 17 to 18 divided into experimental and control groups. The participants were assessed using the Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT) to determine language proficiency and a researcher-made test to measure knowledge of past perfect tense. The intervention involved C-DA sessions conducted via the Google Meet platform for the experimental group, while the control group received traditional teacher-fronted lessons. Results from independent-sample t-tests and one-way between-groups ANOVAs revealed a significant improvement in grammar learning among the experimental group compared to the control group. However, no discernable difference was found in the performance of high and low WM learners in response to C-DA. These findings highlight C-DA's potential as a practical instructional approach for grammar learning in EFL contexts. They underscore the need for further research to explore its utility across different learner profiles.

The current study examined the effectiveness of the educational Lego “More Math” on the mathematical progress, spatial understanding, working memory, and processing speed of students in female first grade of elementary school. female first-grade students. The research employed a quasi-experimental design incorporating a pre-test and post-test framework, with the inclusion of a control group. The population of this study consisted of female first-grade students studying in the schools of Tehran District 14 in the academic year 2022-2023. Among the available schools in District 14, Mihrab Girl’s Elementary School was selected as the sample. Then, 30 students were selected by convenience sampling and randomly assigned to the experimental (15 students) and control (15 students) groups. The data were collected by the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition (WISC-V), which consisted of ten sub-tests comprising five sub-scales for fluency, language comprehension, visual-spatial reasoning, processing speed, and working memory, and the teacher-made math test. The Lego More to Math educational protocol consisted of weekly training sessions over the course of 15 weeks, with each session lasting for 60 minutes. The data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analyses of covariance by SPSS26.The analysis revealed significant differences between groups for spatial perception (F = 1.48, p = 0.00, η² = 0.36), working memory (F = 12.13, p = 0.00, η² = 0.32), processing speed (F = 18.16, p = 0.00, η² = 0.42), and math progress (F = 5.78, p = 0.00, η² = 0.29, test power = 0.9), with non-significant pre-test results (p = 0.88) and significant group differences (F = 11.36, p = 0.00). The study demonstrated that the Lego "More to Math" educational program significantly enhanced first graders' mathematical progress, spatial understanding, working memory, and processing speed. These findings suggested that incorporating structured, play-based learning tools like Lego into early education effectively boosted cognitive and mathematical skills in young students

This study examines the effect of the 4/3/2 technique on Iranian EFL learners' speaking fluency while also investigating the moderating role of working memory (WM). The study involved sixty EFL learners attending a language institute in Shiraz. The participants, aged 14 to 18, all shared Persian as their first language and had pre-intermediate proficiency in English. A pretest-posttest control group design was employed, with participants randomized into experimental and control groups. The 4/3/2 technique was implemented in the experimental group (EG), where learners performed a monologue task thrice, each under increasing time constraints. The control group (CG) received teacher-fronted sessions. Pre- and post-test measures of L2 oral fluency were collected using syllables per minute, with WM span assessed using a reading-span test. The results demonstrated a significant improvement in oral fluency in the EG compared to the CG. Furthermore, learners with higher WM demonstrated greater gains in fluency following the intervention. The findings suggest that the 4/3/2 technique holds promise for enhancing speaking fluency in EFL learners, with individual differences in WM span influencing the effectiveness of the intervention. These findings have implications for language teaching pedagogy and underscore the importance of considering cognitive factors in language learning interventions. The implications of this study extend to various stakeholders in language education, including language teachers, learners, materials developers, syllabus designers, policymakers, and teacher educators. By integrating these insights into language instruction and teacher training programs, educators and policymakers can work towards fostering more effective and engaging language learning experiences for learners

Language teachers should be aware of the effect of various task types on L2 writing. The purpose of the present study was twofold: To investigate the effect of various task types, including graphic-writing task, decision-making task, and reasoning task, on L2 writing and to examine the relationship between working memory and L2 writing ability under three task conditions. To that end, 55 upper-intermediate male and female language learners from Dorsa Institute and Zabankadeh Meli in Hashtgerd participated in this study. Oxford Placement Test (OPT) test was used to homogenize the participants and Reading Span Test to test the working memory. Participants wrote an argumentative writing before and after the treatment. SPSS (version 25) was utilized to analyze the data. Results of data analysis showed statistically significant differences between graphic-writing task and the other two tasks while no significant differences were found between decision-making and reasoning tasks. Finding of the study showed the positive relationship between L2 writing and working memory. Implications of the study for the language learners are discussed.