The Role of Working Memory, Language Proficiency, and Learners’ Age in Second Language English Learners’ Processing and Comprehension of Anaphoric Sentences

This study is designed to explore the role of second language (L2) English learners’ working memory (WM), language proficiency, and age in the processing and comprehension of English anaphoric sentences. To this end, 40 EFL learners participated in the study. The proficiency levels of the participants varied from elementary to high-intermediate, as measured by the Quick Placement Test. A first-language Operation Span Task and a self-paced reading task were employed to measure the participants’ WM capacity and anaphoric sentence processing and comprehension respectively. The results of standard multiple regression analyses revealed that 36% of the variation in anaphoric processing, and 70% of variation in anaphoric sentences comprehension could be accounted for by the independent variables of the study, with the composite WM as the only significant predictor. Moreover, both components of WM, i.e. WM processing and WM storage, significantly predicted 36% and 72% of variation in anaphoric processing and comprehension respectively; with the WM processing having a greater contribution in both cases. The findings of the study provide empirical evidence on the significant role of WM on anaphoric resolution.