The Effect of Keyword and Context Methods on Vocabulary Retention of Iranian EFL Learners

Abstract

This study intended to investigate the comparative effectiveness of keyword and context method on immediate and delayed vocabulary retention of EFL learners. It also compared the rate of forgetting in the keyword and context groups. With a quasi experimental design, 40 learners from two intact classes in a language teaching institute in Khorramabad, Iran, were randomly assigned to the keyword and context group. The keyword group received the keyword strategy training, while the context group focused on learning vocabulary in their real context. The result indicated that learners in the keyword group recalled more vocabulary immediately after training and one week later. The results also indicated the rate of forgetting is more in the context group than in the keyword group.

Keyword Mnemonics: Effects of Immediate Recall on Delayed Recall

“…This result substantiated the findings of several studies where the rote learning method outperformed at one week the keyword mnemonics groups (Campos et al, 2003;Thomas y Wang, 1996;Wang et al, 1992Wang et al, , 1993. However, this result was inconsistent with work asserting the superiority of keyword mnemonics over all other learning methods (Campos et al, 2010;Rodr ıguez et al, 2014;Sagarra & Alba, 2006;Siriganjanavong, 2013;Soleimani et al 2012;Tavakoli & Gerami, 2013;Zhang & Schumm, 2000).…”

“…In most of the studies analysing the efficacy of keyword mnemonics in the long-term, participants first performed intentional immediate recall prior to incidental delayed recall, normally after a one-week interval (Campos et al, 2003(Campos et al, , 2010Carney & Levin, 2008;Soleimani et al, 2012). Alternatively, in other studies half of the participants remembered immediately and in the long-term, and the other half remembered only in the long-term in order to analyse the effect of immediate recall on delayed recall.…”

“…In comparison, the results of studies on the efficacy of keyword mnemonics in the long-term are inconsistent. Several studies have found keyword mnemonics was more efficacious than other techniques for the learning of foreign language vocabulary in the long-term (Campos et al., 2010; Rodríguez et al., 2014; Sagarra & Alba, 2006; Siriganjanavong, 2013; Soleimani et al., 2012; Tavakoli & Gerami, 2013; Zhang & Schumm, 2000). In contrast, other studies found no long-term advantages in keyword mnemonics over other learning techniques (Campos, Amor, et al., 2004a; Carney & Levin, 1998; Pressley et al., 1988), or even reported rote-learning outperformed keyword mnemonics in the long-term (Campos et al., 2003; Thomas & Wang, 1996; Wang et al., 1992, 1993).…”

Why is Morphological Knowledge and Instruction Important for Adult Education Learners?

“…Similarly, many words in modern day English have evolved in meaning due to the use of figurative language (e.g., metaphors or idioms). A few studies with adults who are English language learners have used an etymology strategy called "etymological elaboration," which encourages students to retain the meaning of idioms by drawing connections between the idioms to the linguistic origins of the words (Bagheri & Fazel, 2010;Soleimani & Azizmohammadi, 2015). These studies have found that teaching etymology helps adult English language learners remember the meanings of idioms.…”

How to Enjoy the Journey: Foreign Language Vocabulary Learning and Teaching

“…Similarly, Chen (in Davoudi and Yousefi, 2016) studied the effect of keyword method in Taiwan in a quasi-experiment. Soleimani, Saeedi and Mohajernia (2012) conducted research using the keyword method on an experimental group. In the studies mentioned, the experimental groups, which used the keyword method, recalled more target vocabulary than control groups, which did not use it.…”