Detalle Proyecto- Sistema de Información VIIS

Working Memory Training and its Effect on Second Language Low Performance Students.

Código: 1179 • Estado: Terminado

Investigador Principal Helda Hidalgo

Facultad Ciencias Humanas

Departamento Linguística e Idiomas

Resumen del Proyecto The present case study examines the effects of boosting working memory strategies to improve language learning in low performance students. The study will be carried out based on the considerable body of research addressing the role of memory in language learning, which has long been of interest to researchers in first and second language acquisition (Baddeley, 1992; Ellis, 1996). In SLA, researchers have focused on working memory as it has proven to be responsible for language acquisition and learning. The reason behind this assertion is that working memory is a dynamic system that processes and analyses new information (words, grammatical structures and so on) and binds it together with information already stored in long-term memory. Research suggests that people vary widely in the amount of information they can hold accessible, namely working memory capacity, negatively affecting their performance in diverse cognitive tasks. In the field of second language acquisition, a limited working memory capacity may result in the inability to integrate information, to find a pronoun's referent, to monitor for semantic inconsistencies between texts, to resolve lexical ambiguity, to abstract a main theme, to make comparisons, and to perform well on general comprehension (Daneman & Merickle, 1996). Bearing in mind these implications and after conducting extensive studies, researchers have put forward a series of strategies to enhance learning in children with working memory problems. Gathercole & Alloway (2008) recommend adapting the learning environment to reduce memory loads in the classroom or target and train memory function directly. Either way, the ultimate goal is to minimize the chances of failure and enhance learning. This claim is supported by a series of studies and case studies in which students who received working memory training displayed noticeable improvement in their recall capacity and attention in general.
On the basis of this evidence, this case study will focus on the application of a number of working memory boosting strategies to improve second language students performance. The population will consist of 9 low performance language students (English as a foreign language) from second, fourth and sixth semester in the English and French program at Universidad de Nariño who will be given a set of out of class activities and will be trained in order to increase their working memory capacity. It is expected that after being an active part of the process for semesters B 2015 and A -B 2016, improvement in their performance in and out of class will be seen. It is estimated that once this case study concludes, it will serve as a starting point for pedagogical practice

Convocatoria N/A (Registrado)

Datos de aprobación

Fecha del Acta (Inicio del proyecto) 22/06/2016

Duración 24 Meses

Fin Proyectado 22/06/2018

Grupos de Investigación

Nombre	Línea	Clasificación
Lenguaje y Pedagogía	Classroom Interaction	Reconocido

Equipo Investigador

Nombre	Tipo
Diana Ibarra Santacruz	INT

Prórrogas asignadas

Tipo Acto Administrativo	No.	Tipo	Fecha	Nueva Fecha Terminación
Resolución	2381	i	19/12/2018	29/03/2019