Exploring effects of the keyword method on limited English proficient students' vocabulary recall and comprehension

Abstract

This study examined effects of the keyword (English and Spanish) method in comparison with the rehearsal method on the vocabulary learning of fifth‐grade students with Limited English Proficiency (LEP). Following an intervention program, sixty 5th‐graders with LEP took a vocabulary recall test and a sentence completion test over two time intervals: immediate and one‐week delayed. Multivariate repeated measures were implemented employing test (vocabulary recall and sentence completion) and time (immediate and delayed) as within‐subject factors, and group (keyword Spanish, keyword English, and rehearsal) as a between‐subject factor. Significant main effects were observed for time and test as well as for the interaction of test and group. No statistically significant effects occurred for the interaction of time and group, the interaction of time and test, or the interaction of time, test, and group. Scheffé post hoc tests revealed that students in both keyword groups outperformed their counterparts in the rehearsal group in vocabulary recall tests and sentence completion tests over time. There were no significant differences between the two keyword groups for these tests. In a post‐intervention survey, the majority of students in the two keyword groups reported that they enjoyed using the keyword method and planned to use it in the future. Findings are discussed in light of limitations, directions for future research, and instructional implications.