The Role of Working Memory and Phonological Short-Term Memory in L2 Academic Attainment: The Case with a Reading Course

Reading in a second language (L2) is a complex process influenced by various factors. Among these, working memory capacity (WMC) and phonological short-term memory (PSTM) may play a role in L2 reading performance, though their precise impact remains insufficiently obvious. Research on WMC and PSTM in Arabic first-language learners of English is particularly limited. The present study investigated the relationship between WMC, PSTM, and the academic reading performance of Arabic-speaking students in an English university reading course. The study involved 34 Saudi undergraduate students enrolled in an English program at a Saudi university. WMC was assessed using a backward digit span task, while PSTM was measured with a forward digit span task. Academic reading performance was determined by the students’ final grades in the reading course. The results showed that performance on FDS is significantly greater than BDS in most various grades. More specifically, correlational analyses revealed that neither PSTM nor WMC had a significant relationship with students’ reading course grades. Consequently, the research hypothesis regarding the correlation between WMC and students’ reading attainment was rejected, while the hypothesis concerning the correlation between PSTM and students’ reading attainment was confirmed. The paper discusses these findings in detail, along with their methodological and pedagogical implications.