Assessing the classroom potential of the keyword method.

Levin, Joel R.; Pressley, Michael; McCormick, Christine B.; Miller, Gloria E.; Shriberg, Linda K.

doi:10.1037/0022-0663.71.5.583

Cited by 65 publications

(57 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…As Levin et al (1979) (cited in Lawson & Hogben, 1996) state, the foreign language learners who are quite early in their foreign language studies acquire vocabulary using mnemonic techniques or strategies which involve cognates and phoneme correspondences.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Relationship between Lexical Inferencing Strategies and L2 Proficiency of Iranian EFL Learners

Tavakoli¹,

Hayati²

2011

JLTR

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Abstract-This paper tries to find out what knowledge sources Iranian EFL learners used while trying to infer the meaning of unknown words in the context. It is also intended to find out whether the students' level of L2 proficiency would affect the pattern of their use of the knowledge sources, and if there is a relationship between students' lexical inferencing strategy and their sex. To conduct the study, forty Iranian EFL learners, studying English at the private language institute, were selected to participate in the experiment, and then, they were divided into low and high intermediate levels based on their scores on FCE test. Four short stories were given to them, each story in one class session. The participants were asked to read the story, underline the unknown words, guess the meaning of those unknown words, and then specify the knowledge sources that they used to guess the meaning of the unknown words. The results showed that there were some differences among the students at these two levels regarding the type of knowledge sources used and success in lexical inferencing.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Relationship between Lexical Inferencing Strategies and L2 Proficiency of Iranian EFL Learners

Tavakoli¹,

Hayati²

2011

JLTR

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“…One way that researchers have sought to avoid control subjects' deviations from the expected vocabulary learning behavior is by pacing the experiment so as to limit the spontaneous use of associative strategies on their part (Levin et al, 1979). Results from studies where learning of words is paced are mixed.…”

Section: The Keyword Mnemonic Technique Compared To Other Approachesmentioning

confidence: 98%

The Use of Verbal and Imagery Mnemonics in Second-Language Vocabulary Learning

Cohen

1987

Stud Sec Lang Acq

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This paper provides a critical look at the use of mnemonic associations in vocabulary learning. The paper begins with a definition of mnemonic devices-that is, techniques for converting material to be learned into a form that makes it easier to learn and rememberand focuses on verbal and imagery mnemonics, whereby a word, a phrase, or a sentence and visual imagery serve as mediator between what is known and what is to be learned. Particular attention is given to the keyword approach, in which there is both an acoustic link between a native-language word and the second-language word, and an image of the keyword interacting with the native-language word or phrase. Contentions are discussed concerning both the learning of words through verbal and imagery mnemonics and their subsequent retrieval. Attention is also given to research issues in need of investigation.Language learners sometimes, if not often, feel that they cannot remember words that they attempt to learn. Such words are probably not committed to memory effectively, and if so, are not stored in such a way that they may be easily retrievable when necessary. In order for learners to go about deepening their receptive or productive This is a revised version of a paper presented at the 18th Annual TESOL Convention, Houston, Texas, March 6 -1 1 , 1984. I would like to acknowledge

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“…Although these formal experiments have yielded positive results, several attempts to implement the key-word technique in foreign language classes have not proven successful (e.g., Fuentes, 1976;Willerman, 1977). Researchers are beginning to investigate the reasons for the lack of success in these several instances (Levin et al, 1979).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Later, when the term "Kyok nap Ko" is encountered, the sound "nap" will likely trigger the mental image of someone taking a nap in an airplane hangar, which should allow the retrieval of the appropriate meaning. The key-word technique has been demonstrated to be effective for college students and for high school and elementary students (Levin, Pressley, McCormick, Miller, & Shriberg, 1979). Prior to this research, the effectiveness of the key-word technique for military personnel of varying ranges of GT aptitude had not been studied.…”

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confidence: 99%

An evaluation of the key-word technique for the acquisition of Korean vocabulary by military personnel

Griffith¹

1981

Bull. Psychon. Soc.

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Sixty Army enlisted personnel representing high, medium, and low ranges of general technical (GT) aptitude learned the correct translations for a list of 15 Korean vocabulary words. Half the personnel in each group were instructed to use a mnemotechnic, the key-word technique, whereas the remaining personnel served as a standard learning control. A self-paced learning procedure was employed with number correct on the final trial, total study time, and study efficiency as the primary criterion measures. Although learning was found to be a positive function of GT aptitude, the key-word technique proved effective for all groups. Implications are discussed.The present experiment addresses two issues. The first concerns the general utility of mnemotechnics for military personnel. An earlier experiment (Griffith & Actkinson, 1978) found that only personnel with general technical (GT) aptitude scores of 110 or higher were able to use a one-bun rhyme mnemonic to advantage. As the GT test has an empirical mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 20, the group that was able to use the mnemotechnic successfully closely resembled college students in mental aptitude. A conjecture regarding the failure of personnel with moderate and low GT aptitudes to use the mnemotechnic to advantage was, quite simply, that the 8 sec provided each item was insufficient. Perhaps if the learning were unpaced, they could successfully employ the mnemotechnic.The second issue concerns the utility of a specific mnemotechnic, the key-word technique, for military personnel. The key-word method is a mnemotechnic for vocabulary acquisition that consists of two steps. The first step involves the creation of a key word based on the sound of the to-be-acquired item to serve as an acoustic link. Take, for example, the Korean term for airplane hangar, "Kyok nap Ko." Here, the key word could be "nap." The second step involves associating the key word "nap" to the meaning, airplane hangar, by forming a mental visual image of someone taking a nap in an airplane hangar. Later, when the term "Kyok nap Ko" is encountered, the sound "nap" will likely trigger the mental image of someone taking a nap in an airplane hangar, which should allow the retrieval of the appropriate meaning. The key-word technique has been demonstrated to be effective for college students and for high school and elementary students (Levin, Pressley, McCormick, Miller, & Shriberg, 1979). Prior to this research, the effectiveness of the key-word technique for military personnel of varying ranges of GT aptitude had not been studied. 12Also, the range of foreign languages for which the keyword technique has been employed is limited. For example, prior to this research, the effectiveness of the key-word technique for acquiring Korean vocabulary items had not been tested. Indeed, the Korean language provides a particularly instructive case. On the one hand, there is practically no overlap of English and Korean, regarding the etymology of the vocabulary. On this account, one might expect a large ...

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Assessing the classroom potential of the keyword method.

Cited by 65 publications

References 16 publications

The Relationship between Lexical Inferencing Strategies and L2 Proficiency of Iranian EFL Learners

The Relationship between Lexical Inferencing Strategies and L2 Proficiency of Iranian EFL Learners

The Use of Verbal and Imagery Mnemonics in Second-Language Vocabulary Learning

An evaluation of the key-word technique for the acquisition of Korean vocabulary by military personnel

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