手势与工作记忆视角下的二语口语表现研究

The Role of Gestures and Working Memory in L2 Speech Performance

本研究考察了表征手势使用情况与二语口语流利性、复杂性及准确性之间的关系以及上述关系是否受工作记忆水平的影响。被试为61名中国英语学习者。手势和二语口语数据通过动画片复述收集;工作记忆数据通过综合口语广度测试收集。研究发现:1)手势使用情况显著影响二语口语的流利性和复杂性的部分指标;2)相比高工作记忆组,手势对低工作记忆组被试的二语口语表现影响更大。研究结果支持了McNeill提出的手势语言辩证观。

This study first explores the relationship between representational gesturing and the fluency,complexity,and accuracy of L2 speech performance,and then examines the influence of working memory capacity on this relationship.Data consisting of gestures and L2 speech were collected by asking 61 Chinese English learners to retell a cartoon clip in English while working memory capacity was measured via a composite speech span test.The results showed that:(1)the participants using representational gestures performed significantly better in some fluency and complexity indicators;and(2)compared with the participants with high working memory capacity,those with low working memory capacity were influenced more by gesturing in L2 speech performance.The findings support the dialectic relationship between gesture and language proposed by McNeill.