Working memory in language learning and bilingual development

Working memory and language are integrated and intertwined to such an extent that it has become imperative to understand their interactions. Given their close association, this chapter aims to provide a thorough and critical review of the theoretical links between the more specific system of working memory and its relation to native and second language learning and development. To this end, the chapter first traces the conceptions of working memory from Baddeley’s seminal multicomponent model to Cowan’s embedded-processes model and Engle’s attentional control model, in tandem with their specific theoretical and methodological implications for nuanced language learning and processing domains as well as bilingual development. The chapter concludes by calling for a shift of paradigm from the previous focus on working memory components to the current enthusiasm over executive functions and the emerging construct of attentional control in language and bilingualism research.