ABSTRACT
Working memory (WM) overall has a positive relationship with second language acquisition (SLA) processes and language testing outcomes. This relationship may be theoretically fraught, however, as researchers investigate how SLA processes and performance tasks can be adjusted to depend less on working memory. Meanwhile, WM assessment procedures have become increasingly sophisticated, but WM is sometimes measured rather simplistically in applied linguistics. Thus, SLA and language testing researchers are asked to consider the latest MW developments from psychology and cognitive science, to report on the reliability and validity of their WM assessments, and to explore newer function-oriented WM tasks.
