The Effects of Working Memory and Linguistic Intelligence as a Cognitive Aspect of Individual Differences on Foreign Language Learning

Abstract

Individual differences are quite apparent in a language instruction. Some learners
find it rather easy to acquire very complex foreign language rules (with regard to grammar,
vocabulary and phonetics), others struggle with even the simplest rules. Individual
differences (ID) research is thoroughly dealt with in the field of second language acquisition.
A number of aspects are believed to affect the acquisition of a second/foreign language.
These factors are: cognitive, affective, social, to name but a few. This paper purports
to scrutinize the influence of the cognitive aspect of individual differences on foreign
language learning. Two cognitive abilities were highlighted, viz. working memory and
linguistic intelligence, and their relationship with foreign language achievement was
investigated. A measure of each of these abilities was administered to a sample of sixty first
year freshman students learning English as a Foreign Language at the department of Letters
and English, University of Frères Mentouri Constantine 1.
Working memory measure contained four subtest that assess working memory
capacity in the foreign language; while linguistic intelligence test comprised five subtests that
assess both inductive and deductive reasoning skills. Correlations were made between the
obtained scores in these measures and the students’ language learning achievement. The
results revealed significant associations between this latter and the two cognitive abilities:
working memory and foreign language learning achievement (.29) and linguistic intelligence
and foreign language learning achievement (.28). The study cognition adds evidence to the
importance of cognition in foreign language learning and would recommend the
implementation of a cognitive linguistic test as a basis for selection for Baccalaureate holders
who opt to learn English as a foreign language at university to ensure success