Abstract:
Acquiring a satisfactory level of vocabulary knowledge is a prerequisite for mastering any
language. It is a complex and continuous process that recruits several cognitive faculties,
particularly memory mechanisms. The working memory is a memory concept that plays a
vital role in the processing, manipulation and retrieval of information. The present study sets
out to examine the association between the working memory capacity and vocabulary
comprehension and use among students of English as a Foreign Language based on the
frequency levels of words’ occurrence in the language. To achieve such a purpose, four
widely used tests were administered: two vocabulary tests and two working memory capacity
tests; the tests were taken by a randomly chosen sample of (40) Master One students of
English as a Foreign Language enrolled at the Department of Letters and English—University
of Frères Mentouri Constantine 1. The scores obtained from the vocabulary test, the
Vocabulary Size Test, that assesses the subjects’ abilities to recognize and comprehend
words—receptive lexical knowledge—were compared with their scores in the working
memory capacity test, the Reading Span Test, that measures their abilities to comprehend and
recall words. Similarly, the scores obtained from the vocabulary test, the Productive
Vocabulary Levels Test, that assesses their abilities to use words—productive lexical
knowledge—were compared with the scores they obtained in a working memory capacity
tests, the Speaking Span Test, measuring their abilities to retain and reproduce words in
sentences. Moreover, two questionnaires were delivered to teachers and students to determine
their level of awareness and perceptions of the implications of cognitive and psychological
abilities in language learning, with heavier focus on the link between vocabulary and memory.
A high correlation (r1= .59) was found between the working memory capacity to recognize
words and receptive lexical knowledge. In parallel, a high correlation (r2= .73) was achieved
between the students’ working memory capacity to retain and reproduce words and
productive lexical knowledge. The questionnaires revealed a high level of awareness among
both teachers and students of the significant role of various cognitive and psychological
processes in vocabulary building. Furthermore, the working memory functioning was found to
be highly implicated in vocabulary comprehension and use.
