Abstract
Paying attention to language input is important for the memorization of language (Robinson, 2003). This study took high graders (5th- and 6th- grade students) engaged in English class activities in 2007 to examine relation between English language abilities and two kinds of attention abilities. Reverse-Stroop and Stroop tests of two languages (the first language, Japanese (L1), and English as a Foreign Language (EFL)) were used in order to measure attention abilities (processing abilities) and selective attention abilities (automaticity) in access and storage of two languages. Jidoeiken, Junior STEP onze Test (Bronze) was used to measure English proficiency. The following four points form the main results: (1) Processing abilities in L1 were more predominant than those in EFL, and the upper group of English proficiency has higher processing abilities in both languages. (2) Though automaticity did not develop so much in the processing, not only of L1 but also of EFL, abilities of automaticity in L1 processing might be more predominant than those of EFL processing, irrespective of English proficiency. (3) There were different processing abilities, accessing verbal code and generating imagery code from long-term memory (LTM) between L1 and EFL, while, there were similar processing abilities, accessing imagery code and generating verbal code from LTM between L1 and EFL. (4) The upper group might have had greater processing abilities to attend to smaller units of information (as words and phrases). On the other hand, the attention abilities of the lower group in task switching might be poor in more complicated English language information. Overall, in this research, it was suggested that there were different kinds of language processing depending on the kinds of attention and languages (L1 and EFL), and English proficiency.
