The Effect of Imagery‐Based Mnemonics on the Long‐Term Retention of Chinese Characters

Wang, Alvin Y.; Thomas, Margaret H.

doi:10.1111/j.1467-1770.1992.tb01340.x

Cited by 45 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…These results indicate that the grouped condition had a short‐term advantage over the distributed condition in sound and meaning representations. The disappearance of the advantage associated with a particular learning condition over an interval beyond 48 hours is consistent with studies on CFL character learning (e.g., Shen, ; Wang & Thomas, ; Xu et al, ). Results also indicate that sound and meaning representation were subject to retention losses without repeated practice, regardless of how characters were sequenced.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 86%

The Effect of Radical‐Based Grouping in Character Learning in Chinese as a Foreign Language

Chang

Perfetti

2014

The Modern Language Journal

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The logographic nature of the Chinese writing system creates a huge hurdle for Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) learners. Existing literature (e.g., Shen, 2010; Taft & Chung, 1999) suggests that radical knowledge facilitates character learning. In this project, we selected 48 compound characters in eight radical groups and examined how grouping characters based on their radicals affected the form, sound, and meaning representations of characters and radical knowledge development. We found that for beginning learners, learning radical‐sharing characters in groups consistently led to better recall and better radical generalization than learning in distribution. For intermediate level learners, the grouping factor did not lead to significant differences, while participants in both conditions made improvement in radical perception and radical semantic awareness generalization. We concluded that there is a benefit to presenting learners with recurring radicals in compound characters in groups in character learning and in the autonomous generalization of radical knowledge. We also noted the differences between beginning and intermediate learners in their character perception and learning, and put forward implications for CFL pedagogy.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 86%

The Effect of Radical‐Based Grouping in Character Learning in Chinese as a Foreign Language

Chang

Perfetti

2014

The Modern Language Journal

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“…The insignificant predictive power of the imagery strategy may also be explained from the perspective of vocabulary retention. While imageries can serve as cues to help with memorizing words (Wang & Thomas, ), it has been found that the retention rate of words learned through imagery learning is much lower than that of words learned through rote memory learning (Wang et al., ). Our results are in line with Wang et al.’s () finding and suggest that imagery cues may not be the most effective instrument for strengthening form–meaning connections in learners’ mental lexicon in the long term.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Relationship Between Vocabulary Learning Strategies and Breadth and Depth of Vocabulary Knowledge

Zhang

2015

The Modern Language Journal

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This study investigated the relationship between vocabulary learning strategies and vocabulary breadth and depth knowledge. One hundred and fifty first-year university students in China took the Vocabulary Levels Test, a meaning recall task, and the Depth of Vocabulary Knowledge Test. The first two tests were used to elicit two types of vocabulary breadth knowledge, that is, meaning recognition (passive recognition) and meaning recall (passive recall), while the last test was used to elicit participants' depth of vocabulary knowledge. Participants also filled out a vocabulary learning strategies survey (Schmitt, 1997). Structural equation modeling was employed to assess how vocabulary learning strategies predicted breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge. Results indicate that strategies that focus on learning the forms and associative meanings of words are significant predictors of both vocabulary breadth and depth knowledge. However, even learning strategies of the same type may have different effects on meaning recognition and meaning recall. Implications of the results for vocabulary teaching and learning are considered.Keywords: individual differences; memory; vocabulary knowledge; vocabulary learning strategies; meaning recognition; meaning recall LANGUAGE LEARNING STRATEGIES (LLS) are "specific actions, behaviors, steps or techniques that students use to improve their own progress in developing skills in a second or foreign language" (Oxford, 1999, p. 518). Research on this important individual differences construct (Cohen & Macaro, 2007) dates back to the 1970s when researchers tried to document the types of learning strategies used by successful second language (L2) learners (e.g., Rubin, 1975). The period between the 1980s and 1990s saw a flourishing of studies (e.g., Chamot et al., 1999;Cohen, 1998;O'Malley & Chamot, 1990;Oxford, 1990Oxford, , 1996Wenden, 1991 Rubin, 1987), with the research emphasis shifting toward the classification of LLS. O'Malley and Chamot (1990), for example, proposed three types of strategies: cognitive, metacognitive, and social/affective strategies. At about the same time, Oxford (1990) developed the classical taxonomy that classifies LLS into six categories: cognitive, metacognitive, mnemonic, compensatory, affective, and social strategies.In addition to documenting and classifying LLS that language learners use, another important line of LLS research is concerned with the relationship of LLS to L2 performance. There is some evidence to suggest that LLS can be effectively taught and that improved strategy use can facilitate listening comprehension (Car-

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“…Despite this, there seems to be little evidence to suggest that mnemonics aid in long-term memory retention. Wang and Thomas (1992) found that there was no greater advantage in memory recall with mnemonics over rote learning and in fact in their study, there was greater forgetting among the learners who used mnemonics. Wang does however recognize the advantages of mnemonics in learning and immediate recall but found no evidence to suggest that keyword mnemonics confer any long-term advantages.…”

Section: Mnemonicsmentioning

confidence: 71%

Tackling the Kanji hurdle: Investigation of Kanji learning in Non-Kanji background learners

Paxton¹,

Svetanant²

2013

IJRSLL

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Although Kanji is widely recognized as the most difficult hurdle to overcome in learning Japanese, little research has been undertaken on the selection and order in which Kanji are taught to Japanese students from non-Kanji backgrounds. In this study, the criteria for different orders of kanji are analyzed in respect with their pedagogical merits in teaching Kanji to students of Japanese from non-Kanji backgrounds. The principal objective of this study is to redress the lack of research in this area and the lack of uniformity in Kanji education. Overall, the orders Kanji are taught seems to be mostly arbitrary and is not considered to be of any great importance in aiding students attain Kanji proficiency. This paper examines the difficulty of Kanji for non-Kanji background learners and finds that Kanji order is indeed a vital consideration in developing more efficient Kanji teaching and learning strategies for students from non-Kanji backgrounds.

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The Effect of Imagery‐Based Mnemonics on the Long‐Term Retention of Chinese Characters

Cited by 45 publications

References 21 publications

The Effect of Radical‐Based Grouping in Character Learning in Chinese as a Foreign Language

The Effect of Radical‐Based Grouping in Character Learning in Chinese as a Foreign Language

The Relationship Between Vocabulary Learning Strategies and Breadth and Depth of Vocabulary Knowledge

Tackling the Kanji hurdle: Investigation of Kanji learning in Non-Kanji background learners

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