TY - JOUR
T1 - Verbal Short-term Memory and Vocabulary Learning in Polyglots
AU - Papagno, C.
AU - Vallar, G.
PY - 1995/2/1
Y1 - 1995/2/1
N2 - Polyglot and non-polyglot Italian subjects were given tests assessing verbal (phonological) and visuo-spatial short-term and long-term memory, general intelligence, and vocabulary knowledge in their native language. Polyglots had a superior level of performance in verbal short-term memory tasks (auditory digit span and nonword repetition) and in a paired-associate learning test, which assessed the subjects’ ability to acquire new (Russian) words. By contrast, the two groups had comparable performance levels in tasks assessing general intelligence, visuo-spatial short-term memory and learning, and paired-associate learning of Italian words. These findings, which are in line with neuropsychological and developmental evidence, as well as with data from normal subjects, suggest a close relationship between the capacity of phonological memory and the acquisition of foreign languages.
AB - Polyglot and non-polyglot Italian subjects were given tests assessing verbal (phonological) and visuo-spatial short-term and long-term memory, general intelligence, and vocabulary knowledge in their native language. Polyglots had a superior level of performance in verbal short-term memory tasks (auditory digit span and nonword repetition) and in a paired-associate learning test, which assessed the subjects’ ability to acquire new (Russian) words. By contrast, the two groups had comparable performance levels in tasks assessing general intelligence, visuo-spatial short-term memory and learning, and paired-associate learning of Italian words. These findings, which are in line with neuropsychological and developmental evidence, as well as with data from normal subjects, suggest a close relationship between the capacity of phonological memory and the acquisition of foreign languages.
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U2 - 10.1080/14640749508401378
DO - 10.1080/14640749508401378
M3 - Article
C2 - 7754088
AN - SCOPUS:0029246365
VL - 48
SP - 98
EP - 107
JO - Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology Section A: Human Experimental Psychology
JF - Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology Section A: Human Experimental Psychology
SN - 0272-4987
IS - 1
ER -