Working memory and language learning: A 4-year longitudinal study

The aim of the present study was to investigate the contribution of
two working memory systems (the phonological loop and the central
executive) to children’s foreign language learning. A sample of 119
Luxembourgish children, whose native language is Luxembourgish
and who learn German and French as secondary languages in
school were assessed longitudinally over a 4-year time period.
Children were tested in kindergarten (5 years of age), in first, second,
and third grade with a one-year interval between each testing wave.
Results indicate that individual differences in phonological loop
functioning were causally related to foreign vocabulary
development. One particular phonological loop measure - the
repetition of low wordlike nonwords - was identified as the single
best predictor of the acquisition of an unfamiliar foreign language up
to two years later, suggesting that this measure may provide a
valuable tool for early screening to identify children who are at
present and future risk for foreign language learning difficulties.