Knowledge Bank

This study investigates whether response times (RTs) in a speaking span test (SST) are related to working memory capacity (WMC) in second language (L2), specifically focusing on L2 Japanese by first language (L1) English-speaking learners. Although an SST is often used in psycholinguistic research to assess one’s WMC, one of its shortcomings is that it does not have a time limit, allowing participants to take their time without penalty. This paper reports results from two SSTs, the L1 English speaking span test (L1ESST) and the L2 Japanese speaking span test (L2JSST), involving 36 participants. The findings show that those with higher WMC in L1 also tended to have higher WMC in L2, and those who responded faster in L1 also tended to respond faster in L2. However, faster RTs did not necessarily evoke higher WMC. The study concludes that RTs in the SSTs should not be used as a measure of WMC in L2, as quicker responses do not correlate with WMC.