Effects of processing tasks and working memory on the mapping component of L2 word learning: A partial replication and extension of Kida and Barcroft (2018)

Kida and Barcroft studied second language (L2) homograph learning by specifically examining the form–meaning mapping component. Their research shed light on the type of processing-resource allocation (TOPRA) model, which posits that the allocation of processing resources in highly demanding tasks may facilitate certain aspects of L2 word learning while inhibiting others. The role of working memory (WM) in L2 word acquisition is widely recognized, yet its influence on the effects of processing tasks has not been tested within the context of the TOPRA model. To further test whether the TOPRA model applies to Chinese-speaking English learners and how WM potentially modulates the relationship between processing types and the mapping component of L2 words, we partially replicated and extended Kida and Barcroft by testing the effects of WM and processing tasks on L2 learning of English homographs. Eighty-four undergraduates, 28 from each of the three intact classes, took part in a pretest – a treatment phase where participants engaged in either semantic processing, structural processing, or a mapping (control) condition – and posttests (L1/L2 free recall, L2-to-L1/L1-to-L2 cued recall). They also completed a first language (L1) reading span task to measure their WM. Results revealed that processing tasks significantly affected the semantic learning and mapping component of L2 words, and interacted with WM during the novel mapping between known L2 forms and secondary L2 meanings. These findings are discussed in relation to two core issues in the TOPRA model.