INVESTIGATING THE WORKING MEMORY AND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION STRATEGIES AMONG MONOLINGUAL AND BILINGUAL CHILDREN IN A CLASSROOM’S SETTING

Authors

  • Eleni Rachanioti PhD student, University of Western Macedonia, Greece
  • Eleni Griva Associate Professor, University of Western Macedonia, Greece
  • Anastasia Alevriadou Professor, University of Western Macedonia, Greece

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v0i0.964

Keywords:

working memory, academic performance, vocabulary strategies, monolingual students, bilingual students

Abstract

The present study aimed at comparing the working memory of Greek monolingual students to bilingual ones from migrant backgrounds who all attend primary school. Secondly, an effort was made to investigate the correlation of the working memory with the academic performance in both groups. Moreover, the correlation of the vocabulary strategies, employed by monolingual and bilingual students in an integrated memory-based text framework (Rachanioti, Griva & Alevriadou, 2017), with their working memory was explored. The sample consisted of 20 monolingual and 20 bilingual students of Albanian origin, who attended the 5th and 6th grade of three primary schools in Eastern Thessaloniki, Greece. The monolingual and bilingual students were matched according to their mark reports on academic performance. The Automated Working Memory Assessment (Alloway, 2007) was used to assess the students’ working memory. The data revealed that monolingual and bilingual students did not differ either in the verbal working memory or the visuospatial working memory performance. A statistically significant positive correlation between working memory and academic performance was found in both monolingual and bilingual students. The correlation of the Process strategies with the verbal working memory was statistically significant in monolingual students, as well as in the bilingual ones. The Memory strategies were positively correlated with the verbal and visuospatial working memory in both groups. The Confirmation/consolidation strategies were positively correlated with the verbal working memory only in the bilingual students. Results are discussed in terms of memory strategy instruction that may compensate for a poor working memory of both monolingual and bilingual students in a classroom’s setting, thus aiding to improve their academic performance. This study is the first trial of the AWMA in Greek students as well as bilingual immigrant ones.

 

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Author Biographies

  • Eleni Rachanioti, PhD student, University of Western Macedonia, Greece

    Eleni Rachanioti (rachanioti@gmail.com) is a PhD student in Special Education - University of Western Macedonia/ Greece. She holds a MSc in Bilingual Special Education from the University of Western Macedonia/ Greece and a BA in Early Childhood Education from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki/ Greece. She works in the 1st Special Education Needs Diagnostic and Support Centre in Thessaloniki. She has published articles in Greek and international journals and she has participated in a number of international conferences. 

  • Eleni Griva, Associate Professor, University of Western Macedonia, Greece

    Dr. Eleni Griva (egriva@uowm.gr & egriva.efl@gmail.com) is an Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics at the University of Western Macedonia – Greece. For four years, she was also the coordinator of the module “Testing and Assessment in Language Learning” (at the postgraduate level) in the School of Humanities of the Hellenic Open University (HOU). Her research interests include: Methodology of teaching a second/foreign language, language learning strategies, bilingualism/multilingualism, Foundations of Bilingual/Multicultural Education, Methods and Materials in Bilingual/SL Education, assessment in language learning, syllabus design. She is a member of various International Scientific Committees and Associate Editor of five International Academic Journals. She has published 4 books (in Greek) related to teaching a second/foreign language and bilingualism, as well as more than 170 papers, which appear in various international and national refereed journals, collected editions and conference proceedings. She has also participated in more than 160 International and National Conferences. 

  • Anastasia Alevriadou, Professor, University of Western Macedonia, Greece

    Dr. Anastasia Alevriadou (alevriadou@uowm.gr) is a Full Professor of Psychology of Special Education at the University of Western Macedonia, Greece. She holds a PhD in Special Education by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. She has taught and researched in USA and Cyprus. Her main clinical and research interests are children with disabilities. She has published more than 100 articles in Greek and international journals and co-authored 4 books about intellectual disabilities. Member of the CiCe (Children’s Identity and Citizenship in Europe) Academic Network. She is Associate Editor of the Journal of Educational and Developmental Psychology in Canada and International Advisory Board Member of the European Journal of Special Education Research.

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Published

2017-08-16

Issue

Vol 3, No 9 (2017)

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