Following exploring the important role of working memory capacity (WMC) in first language acquisition (e.g., Daneman & Carpenter, 1980; King & Just, 1991; Miyake, Just & Carpenter, 1994; Waters & Caplan, 1996), research on examining the role of WM in L2 learning has emerged as an area of concern for L2 researchers. This study examined the role of WMC in the development of L2 reading at the beginning, intermediate and advanced levels. Since findings on the relationship between WMC and L2 reading have not been consistent, possibly because the influence of WMC on L2 reading may vary at different levels of proficiency, the current study seeks further to examine proficiency as a moderating variable in the relationship between WMC and L2 reading. This was to see whether the influence of WMC changed at different levels of proficiency. A total of 140 L1 Persian EFL learners completed a WMC task as well as measures of reading proficiency. The results of the study showed a significant relationship between WMC and L2 reading only among learners of lower proficiency. This suggests that WM plays a diminishing role in discriminating performance on second language reading measures at higher levels of proficiency.

在探索工作记忆容量 (WMC) 在第一语言习得中的重要作用之后（例如，Daneman & Carpenter, 1980; King & Just, 1991; Miyake, Just & Carpenter, 1994; Waters & Caplan, 1996），研究检查了WM 在二语学习中的作用已成为二语研究人员关注的一个领域。本研究考察了 WMC 在初级、中级和高级水平的二语阅读发展中的作用。由于 WMC 与二语阅读之间关系的研究结果并不一致，可能是因为 WMC 对二语阅读的影响可能因不同的熟练程度而异，本研究旨在进一步检验熟练程度作为 WMC 与二语阅读之间关系的调节变量。 L2阅读。这是为了了解 WMC 的影响是否会随着熟练程度的不同而发生变化。共有 140 名 L1 波斯语 EFL 学习者完成了 WMC 任务以及阅读能力测量。研究结果表明，WMC 与 L2 阅读之间的显着关系仅存在于较低水平的学习者中。这表明 WM 在区分较高水平的第二语言阅读措施的表现方面起着越来越小的作用。