Visuospatial Working Memory Load Effects on Predictive Eye Gaze in L2 Phonological Processing
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69760/jales.2026001003Keywords:
Visuospatial working memory, Predictive processing in L2 listening, Eye-trackingAbstract
Second language (L2) processing research has predominantly focused on verbal working memory (WM), yet the potential role of visuospatial WM (VSWM) remains underexplored. This study examines how a concurrent VSWM load impacts predictive eye movements during L2 spoken word processing. Fifty adult L2 English learners completed a visual-world eye-tracking experiment in which they listened to sentences that were either predictive or non-predictive of an upcoming noun, while simultaneously performing a secondary visuospatial memory task (symmetry span) in a high-load condition. Growth curve analyses revealed that under high VSWM load, anticipatory fixations to target objects were delayed by approximately 150 ms compared to a low-load baseline, a significant effect (β = –0.22, p < 0.001). No interaction with L2 proficiency was observed. These findings suggest that VSWM capacity constrains real-time phonological prediction in L2 listening, extending theoretical models of WM in SLA and offering practical insights for multimedia language learning.
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