아동의 언어 능력과 음운인식 능력 그리고 작업기억 능력 간에는 높은 상관관계가 있다. 따라서 음운인식 능력과 언어 능력에서의 차이가 단순언어장애 유아의 작업기억에서의 차이로 결과하였을 가능성을 선행 연구의 결과로서는 알 수가 없다. 따라서 언어 능력과 음운인식 능력이 작업기억 능력에 영향을 미치는 지를 검증할 필요가 있다. 작업기억의 음운루프 검사를 위해 무의미 단어 반복하기 검사와 수회생 검사가 사용되었고 Mr. Cucumber 검사가 시공간잡기장 검사를 위해 사용되었다. 그리고 읽기 구간 검사(읽기폭 검사)가 중앙집행기 검사를 위해 사용되었다. 결과는 다음과 같다. 아동들의 언어 능력, 음운인식 능력을 통제했을 때 작업기억 능력은 두 집단간에 유의한 차이가 없었다. 이는 단순언어장애 유아의 열등한 작업기억 능력은 그들의 열등한 언어능력과 음운인식 능력을 반영하는 것이라는 것을 반증하고 있다.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the working memory of children with Specific Language Impairment and normal language and to examine the relation between these children's working memory capacity and their language competence. Ten children with SLI and ten chronological age-matched (age range = 3;6 to 6;6) children with typical language development participated in this study. Children are usually identified by researchers as having a specific language impairment when there are no obvious contributing factors, such as hearing impairment, neurological impairment, or mental retardation, that can account for below-age language ability. And normal nonverbal IQ scores are necessary for diagnosis of SLI. The ‘Nonword Repetition test’ and the ‘Digit Span test’ was used to test the Phonological loop and ‘Reading Span test’ was used to test the Central Executor. The conclusion from the results and discussion are as follows: First, when we examined working memory capacity between children with SLI and normal language controlling their phonological awareness and their language age, no significant between-group differences were found. Accordingly poorer performance of children with SLI on working memory test reflect their poor language competence and poor phonological awareness.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the working memory of children with Specific Language Impairment and normal language and to examine the relation between these children's working memory capacity and their language competence. Ten children with SLI and ten chronological age-matched (age range = 3;6 to 6;6) children with typical language development participated in this study. Children are usually identified by researchers as having a specific language impairment when there are no obvious contributing factors, such as hearing impairment, neurological impairment, or mental retardation, that can account for below-age language ability. And normal nonverbal IQ scores are necessary for diagnosis of SLI. The ‘Nonword Repetition test’ and the ‘Digit Span test’ was used to test the Phonological loop and ‘Reading Span test’ was used to test the Central Executor. The conclusion from the results and discussion are as follows: First, when we examined working memory capacity between children with SLI and normal language controlling their phonological awareness and their language age, no significant between-group differences were found. Accordingly poorer performance of children with SLI on working memory test reflect their poor language competence and poor phonological awareness.

children with specific language impairment, working memory, phonological awareness