The Phonological Loop as a “Language Learning Device”

doi:10.1017/9781108955638.007

4 - The Phonological Loop as a “Language Learning Device”

An Update

from Part II - Models and Measures

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 08 July 2022

Costanza Papagno

Edited by

John W. Schwieter and

Zhisheng (Edward) Wen

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John W. Schwieter: Affiliation:
Wilfrid Laurier University
Zhisheng (Edward) Wen: Affiliation:
Hong Kong Shue Yan University

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Summary

The phonological component of the working memory system is specialized in maintaining a sequence of verbal items (digits, letters, words, pseudowords) over a very short period of time. Therefore, a central issue has been why we are provided with such ability, and what is its functional role. A series of studies on healthy people, on children learning their mother tongue, on children and young adults learning a second language and, crucially, on neuropsychological patients with a selective deficit of auditory-verbal short-term memory has clearly shown that a fundamental function is to maintain a new phonological representation for a period of time long enough to build permanent phonological representations. This is exactly what happens when we learn a new language. In this chapter I will report converging evidence involving different languages showing how this important result has been obtained.

Keywords

phonological short-term memory phonological loop auditory-verbal short-term memory vocabulary acquisition second language

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Type: Chapter
Information: The Cambridge Handbook of Working Memory and Language , pp. 51 - 72

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108955638.007 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2022

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