Teaching English Language and Literature Society of Iran (TELLSI) Teaching English Language 2538-5488 17 2 2023 07 01 The Contribution of Working Memory and Word Recognition to Second Language Reading Across Different Proficiency Levels: An Eye-Movement Study سهم حافظه فعال و تشخیص واژگان در توانایی خواندن و درک مطلب در زبان دوم 213 250 182984 10.22132/tel.2023.407277.1492 EN Amir Mahshanian Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Foreign Languages, University of Isfahan, Esfahan, Iran Mohammadtaghi Shahnazari Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Foreign Languages, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran Ahmad Moinzadeh English Department, Faculty of Foreign Languages, University of Isfahan Journal Article 2023 07 16 This study examined the role of working memory (WM) and word recognition in L2 reading across different proficiency levels. 120 Iranian EFL learners were placed in three proficiency groups based on their IELTS scores. The battery of tests used in this study included a reading span task to measure WM, an eye movement word vs. non-word task to measure word recognition ability, an L1-recall task, and a multiple-choice reading test to measure reading comprehension. Correlations were carried out to examine the connections between WM, word recognition skills, and L2 reading performance. Regression analyses were also conducted to test whether WM and word recognition can predict reading performance at different levels of proficiency. The results showed that there were significant correlations between WM and L2 reading in the beginner group and between WM and word recognition speed in the beginner and intermediate groups. Regression analyses indicated that WM is a strong and direct predictor of reading performance at a beginner level of proficiency and a predictor of how fast less proficient readers recognize words in context. Highlighting the important role of WM in the word recognition ability of less proficient L2 readers, this study also showed that second language reading is not related to the accuracy or speed of word recognition across proficiency levels. این مطالعه به بررسی رابطه حافظه فعال، توانایی تشخیص واژگان و مهارت خواندن در زبان دوم در سطوح مختلف می پردازد. 120 زبان آموز ایرانی در این تحقیق شرکت نموده که هر کدام بر اساس نمره ی آزمون آیلتس درسه گروه مبتدی، متوسط و پیشرفته تقسیم بندی شده اند. شرکت کنندگان در این مطالعه، در آزمون های مختلفی شامل آزمون حافظه از طریق خواندن، آزمون تشخیص واژگان از طریق دستگاه ردیابی چشم و آزمون های خواندن و درک مطلب شرکت نموده اند. نتایج به دست آمده نشان داد حافظه ی فعال و مهارت خواندن در سطح مبتدی دارای رابطه ی معنا دار هستند. همچنین حافظه ی فعال رابطه ی مستقیمی با سرعت تشخیص واژگان در سطوح مبتدی و متوسطه دارد. با این وجود هیچ رابطه ی معنا داری بین حافظه ی فعال و صحت تشخیص واژگان و یا بین صحت تشخیص واژگان و مهارت خواندن در سطوح مختلف پیدا نشد. working memory lower-level processing word recognition L2 reading https://www.teljournal.org/article_182984_eb589fc147be35fda82128cfb3a451e2.pdf