Abstract
Phonological short-term memory can explain individual differences in second language (L2) listening skills, because the ability to temporarily hold aural information is indispensable for listening comprehension. However, the relationship between phonological short-term memory and L2 listening skills has received relatively less attention from researchers, and the results of the studies that do address this topic have been inconclusive. Thus, this study investigates the degree to which phonological short-term memory contributes to L2 listening skills. Significantly, it examines not only verbal aspects but also acoustic aspects of phonological short-term memory capacity. The participants of this study were 223 Japanese learners of English as a foreign language. The participants’ verbal short-term memory was measured using the Forward Digit Span Test and the Non-Word Repetition Test, both of which are based on the participants’ first language, while their acoustic short-term memory was measured using the Tonal Memory Span Test and the Rhythm Memory Span Test. Their L2 listening skills were measured by the English Listening Dictation Test. The results of the regression analyses indicate that both verbal and acoustic short-term memory measured by the tests significantly contributed to listeners’ sound recognition skills.
