Visuospatial Working Memory Load Effects on Predictive Eye Gaze in L2 Phonological Processing

Second language (L2) processing research has predominantly focused on verbal working memory (WM), yet the potential role of visuospatial WM (VSWM) remains underexplored. This study examines how a concurrent VSWM load impacts predictive eye movements during L2 spoken word processing. Fifty adult L2 English learners completed a visual-world eye-tracking experiment in which they listened to sentences that were either predictive or non-predictive of an upcoming noun, while simultaneously performing a secondary visuospatial memory task (symmetry span) in a high-load condition. Growth curve analyses revealed that under high VSWM load, anticipatory fixations to target objects were delayed by approximately 150 ms compared to a low-load baseline, a significant effect (β = –0.22, p < 0.001). No interaction with L2 proficiency was observed. These findings suggest that VSWM capacity constrains real-time phonological prediction in L2 listening, extending theoretical models of WM in SLA and offering practical insights for multimedia language learning.