Journal of the Korea Convergence Society (한국융합학회논문지)

Korea Convergence Society (한국융합학회)
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A Relationship Between Korean EFL Learners' Working Memory Capacity, English Vocabulary Size, and Listening Competence

한국인 영어 학습자의 작업 기억 용량과 영어 어휘 수준 및 듣기 능력 관계 연구

  • Yi, Koeon (Graduate School of Education, Jeonju University) ;
  • Choi, Sunhee (Department of English Education, Jeonju University)
  • Received : 2021.10.07
  • Accepted : 2021.12.20
  • Published : 2021.12.28
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Abstract

The current study aims to investigate the relationship between working memory capacity, vocabulary size, and listening competence of Korean EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners. 30 English education majors from a university in Korea were recruited. The backward digit span and the operation span tasks were used to measure the participants' working memory capacity, while the Listening Vocabulary Level Test (LVLT) and the Michigan English Test (MET) were employed to measure their vocabulary size and listening proficiency in English, respectively. The correlational analyses revealed that the bigger one's working memory storage was, the better the person processed incoming input. However, no statistically significant correlation was found between working memory capacity, English vocabulary size, and listening proficiency, possibly due to the small sample size and the homogeneous subjects.

본 연구의 목적은 한국어 EFL 학습자의 작업 기억과 영어 어휘 및 듣기 능력의 관계를 조사하는 것이다. 한국의 한 대학교에 재학 중인 30명의 영어 교육 전공자들이 본 연구에 참여했다. 참가자의 작업 용량을 측정하기 위해 거꾸로 숫자 폭 과업과 작업 폭 과업을 사용하였으며, 이들의 영어 어휘 수준 및 듣기 능력은 '듣기 어휘 수준 시험(LVLT)'과 '미시건 영어 시험(MET)'을 각각 사용하여 측정하였다. 데이터 분석 결과, 대학생 참가자들의 작업 기억 저장 용량은 매우 다양한 것으로 나타났으며, 작업 기억 저장 용량이 클수록 영어 입력 정보를 더 잘 처리하는 것으로 나타났다. 그러나 상대적으로 작은 규모의 동질적인 연구 참가자들의 특성으로 인해 작업 기억 용량, 영어 어휘 수준, 그리고 영어 듣기 능력 사이에 통계적으로 유의한 상관관계는 발견되지 않았다.

Keywords

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