Effects of Using Mnemonic Associations on Vocabulary Recall of Iranian EFL Learners over Time

Fatemeh Anjomafrouz,Ghaffar Tajalli

doi:10.5539/ijel.v2n4p101

Fatemeh Anjomafrouz, Ghaffar Tajalli

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.5539/ijel.v2n4p101

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Abstract

Effects of using mnemonic associations on vocabulary recall of Iranian EFL learners were investigated in two separate experiments with adolescents and adults. In each experiment, the students were divided into two groups of experimental (mnemonic) and control (rote). Using a number of predesigned (the researcher-designed) associations as models, the students of the mnemonic groups were trained to generate mnemonic associations of their own for the new vocabulary words they had chosen to learn. Then, their use of the initial (previously student-designed) and the new self-designed associations was assessed by giving four recall tasks. The students of the rote groups, on the other hand, were instructed to learn the words through memorization and repetition. The data analyzed revealed that using mnemonic associations led to significantly better performance of the adult students when comparison was made with an external control group (rote group) and better performance of both adult and adolescent groups when comparison was made with an internal control group (when students used no association in mnemonic group). Furthermore, the higher performance of mnemonic groups who frequently reported using initial associations revealed that these had a significant role at vocabulary recall of students. Finally, mnemonic method significantly affected the vocabulary recall of adult students for both receptive and productive learning.

Highlights

Along with the idea of focusing on the good language learner, investigations have begun to isolate certain cognitive strategies to facilitate foreign language learning
The data analyzed revealed that using mnemonic associations led to significantly better performance of the adult students when comparison was made with an external control group and better performance of both adult and adolescent groups when comparison was made with an internal control group
That the mnemonic group has no superiority over the rote group is congruent with the findings of Campos and Gonzalez (2003)

Summary

Introduction

Along with the idea of focusing on the good language learner, investigations have begun to isolate certain cognitive strategies to facilitate foreign language learning. Learning new vocabulary is a principal issue in learning of a foreign language Such issue has led to a wide range of research and pedagogical interest. Despite this interest there has been considerable debate about the most effective way to develop students’ FL vocabulary. One such issue concerns the effectiveness of a range of possible cognitive strategies (e.g. mnemonic associations) involved in vocabulary learning and empirical validation over time of the strategies mentioned. This study takes certain cognitive strategies – mnemonic associations mainly keyword strategy – to examine their effectiveness in a way that learners go through the process of self-selection to create a stronger link between their previous knowledge and newly-learned item. (Brown, Bransford, Ferrara, & Campione, 1983; cited in Ellis, 1994) found that “rehearsal” for children consisted of rote repetition, while for adults it involved “active, systematic and elaborative procedures”

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