Multi-dimensional associations between working memory and reading comprehension in L2 Chinese learners

As a fundamental skill for language ability, reading comprehension involves intricate information processing that is closely constrained by readers’ cognitive ability (i.e., working memory). Although most previous studies acknowledge that both the capacity and processing efficiency of working memory affects reading comprehension, the multidimensional nature of these constructs has led to inconsistent findings, and empirical evidence specifically targeting L2 Chinese remains scarce. This study investigated the multi-dimensional associations between working memory and reading comprehension among 74 intermediate-level L2 Chinese learners whose native language was English. Three tasks of working memory (i.e., digit-span, phonological short-term-memory, and reading span tasks) and two tasks of reading comprehension (for simple and complex comprehension) were conducted. The results showed that 1) the storage, auditory, and dual-task capacities (storage and processing capacities) of working memory were significantly and positively associated with simple comprehension, while both storage and dual-task capacities were positively correlated with complex comprehension; 2) all capacities of working memory were found to be independent predictors of simple comprehension, while the storage and dual-task capacities were independently predictive of complex comprehension; and 3) the dual-task capacity contributed most to both simple and complex reading comprehension when all three working memory capacities were present. Therefore, it is advisable for tutors to progressively integrate daily training of working memory into L2 Chinese reading instruction.