ИСТИНА

The study of the cognitive underpinnings of individual differences in language learning is associated both with basic cognitive characteristics – the processing speed and working memory, and with general characteristics – intelligence. However, the ratio between cognitive development and the academic achievement in language learning can change throughout the entire period of school education and influence by the socio-economic status including the effectiveness of the national education system. In the present study the analysis of the cognitive predictors of academic achievement in Russian is performed on samples of Russian-speaking high schoolchildren from Russia, Kyrgyzstan and Moldova. These three countries have a very similar organization in terms of the educational system, but differ in socio-economic status. The sample of the study included 545 Russian-speaking students of final year of school education (mean age = 17.42, standard deviation = 0.59, 36.1% males) studying in the Russian language throughout the school age in public schools in Russia, Kyrgyzstan and Moldova. ANOVA, correlation and multiple regression analysis were used. It was shown that in Kyrgyzstan, which includes in the group of countries with an average socio-economic development, and Moldova as a country with a high socio-economical status only non-verbal intelligence is associated with the score of the State exam in the Russian language. In Russia, which includes in the group of countries with a very high level of socio-economic status, – along with non-verbal intelligence working memory is updated. Among the analyzed cognitive characteristics the effectiveness of the national education system is most associated with the non-verbal intelligence, which is directly proportional to the quality of education in the country. It is also associated with the working memory, but to a lesser extent.