Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
LICENCJACKA
PAULINA LEZISKA
NR ALBUMU: 44555
KIERUNEK: FILOLOGIA
SPECJALNO: FILOLOGIA ANGIELSKA
BIELSKO-BIAA, 2015
Contents
Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 6
1.
2.
3.
1.2.
Mnemotechniques ........................................................................................................ 13
2.1.
2.2.
Distinction ............................................................................................................. 14
2.3.
Features ................................................................................................................. 16
2.4.
2.4.1.
2.4.2.
2.4.3.
2.4.4.
Grouping ........................................................................................................ 21
2.4.5.
2.4.6.
2.4.7.
2.4.8.
Method ......................................................................................................................... 25
3.1.
Thesis .................................................................................................................... 25
3.2.
3.3.
3.3.1.
Subjects.......................................................................................................... 27
3.3.2.
3.4.
4.
Results .......................................................................................................................... 30
4.1.
4.2.
4.3.
4.4.
4.4.1.
4.4.2.
4.4.3.
4.4.5.
vocabulary? .................................................................................................................. 44
4.5.
Conclusions ........................................................................................................... 45
Introduction
Foreign language teachers and learners face a great number of challenges. For most
of elementary school students English lessons are the situations in which they hear and use
a new language for the first time. The teachers are guides, who help them acquire new
knowledge and language skills. They are constantly looking for useful and effective
techniques or methods which facilitate the acquisition of knowledge and help students
remember hundreds of English words. Elementary school students are the learners who
especially need guidance. Teachers should show their students different strategies helpful
in remembering vocabulary items. As learning foreign words by remembering their Polish
translations does not seem to be attractive and encouraging to students, it is important to
provide them with methods that are more interesting and effective.
The paper discusses mnemotechniques which are the memory strategies used in
vocabulary learning and teaching. The work aims at helping to understand
mnemotechniques better and showing their role in vocabulary acquisition.
The major aim of this work is to investigate if mnemonic techniques are a useful
tool in vocabulary teaching and learning for elementary school students. In the study, the
Likert scale questionnaire and the interview are planned to be used to collect the necessary
data.
The first chapter of the paper focuses on the problem of vocabulary acquisition
among elementary school students. It discusses how words are learnt. What is more, the
role of memory in vocabulary acquisition is described.
The next chapter introduces the notion of mnemotechniques. In this part the
definition and origins of mnemonic techniques are provided. The distinction and features
of mnemonics are discussed. The chapter includes the description of the following
mnemotechniques: the Keyword Method, the Visual Method, the Spatial Grouping,
Grouping, the Peg Method, the Physical Response Method, the Loci Method and the Word
Chain.
The third chapter presents the methodological details of the study. The thesis and
the research questions are stated. The chapter includes the description of the data collection
instruments and the subjects taking part in the study. What is more, the expected results are
provided.
6
The last chapter provides necessary information about the results of the research. It
contains the description of the participants of the study and the analysis of the data
collected during the study. The data are presented in the charts, tables and bar graphs and
discussed by the author of the paper. The chapter also includes the conclusions drawn by
the author.
1.1.
Vocabulary acquisition
diagram), ordering (learners arrange a list of the words, the order of the words help them
link new information with the new- creating memory links) and communicative activities
(which can access existing vocabulary or extend vocabulary) enhance vocabulary
production. When it comes to storing words in memory it can be enhanced by
mnemotechniques such as Loci or the Keyword Method which would be discussed in the
following chapter.
According to Thornbury (2002: 16), knowing a word includes the knowledge of its
form and meaning. The author indicates, that knowing the meaning of the word means not
only to know the dictionary meaning, but also to know its collocations, connotations,
register or cultural accretions.
Similarly, Kuczyski (2005: 123) claims, that a learner who knows a lexical item,
knows its two forms: graphemic and phonemic, meaning: connotative and denotative,
colligation and pragmatic aspects of its usage. According to Carter (1987: 152), a word
occurs in a semantic space. A learner who knows a word, knows which parts of the space
are occupied and are not occupied by a given word. The author indicates, that
comprehending and producing words are two distinct skills. The production is generally
more demanding and difficult. The knowledge of syntagmatic and paradigmatic relations is
also underlined here. Szpotowicz and Szulc-Kurpaska (2009: 99) indicate, that the word is
9
fully acquired when a learner knows and understands the meaning, is able to recall its
sound and pronounce it correctly. The ability to read and write it is also important.
A learner also needs to use it in a right context remembering about the grammar
and in a proper function. In their work the authors (2009: 99) present how learners usually
learn new vocabulary in foreign language classroom:
Those stages are not permanent. The process of vocabulary acquisition often takes
many lessons or even years. What is more, some acquired words can be difficult to retrieve
if they are not practiced.
The authors also give the sequence of steps (stages) that they recommend to follow
while teaching vocabulary. The stages are the following: clear presentation, frequent
practice, ongoing reinforcement. The presentation must be clear for the students. The
teacher has to check if the meaning of the word in the mother tongue is known to the
learners before the further practice. The correct pronunciation has to be modelled by
repeating the word in chorus and individually. Activities that help in practicing vocabulary
should follow the presentation instantly. Those activities should be attractive and amusing
to the learners. Practice activities should also involve their imagination and be memorable
to children. The lesson during which a given set of words is used should be preceded by a
short revision of the vocabulary (for example: a short practice task). Reinforcement and
repetition are vital parts of teaching vocabulary. The words should be practiced in different
contexts, as students learn them better when they use the same vocabulary items in various
situations. This kind of practice makes it easier to them to retrieve the vocabulary form
their memory.
10
1.2.
The function of the working memory is to concentrate on the items long enough to
use them or to perform an action on them. Learning, comprehension and reasoning are
dependent on working memory. A learner can use working memory to manipulate or
compare items which can come from the long-term memory or external sources. The
information stays in the working memory for about twenty seconds. The articulatory loop
and the mental sketch pad are linked to the working memory. The articulatory loop helps in
manipulating a phonological representation of the sound, whereas the mental sketch pad
refers to images (for example: visual mnemotechniques) which can be placed here.
The long-term memory has a large capacity and its information are durable over
time, unlike the working or short term memory, where information remains for 20 to 30
seconds. Thornbury (2002: 24) indicates, that even though the vocabulary item remains
there for more than a couple of seconds, it can be quickly forgotten. The student may not
remember it during the next lesson. Transforming the vocabulary to be learnt into never
forgotten seems to be a great challenge for foreign language learners. The author draws
attention to various principles which help to commit the material into the long term
memory. Thornbury underlines the importance of repetition and retrieval, which are vital
in successful vocabulary learning and help in later recall of the words. Using the
vocabulary items, especially in an interesting way helps to add them to long-term memory.
Attention and imagining are also vital to remembering vocabulary items. A high degree of
attention often results in improved recall, whereas using imagination makes it easier for a
learner to visualize the word and remember it. What is more, the author claims, that
mnemonics are helpful in vocabulary learning processes.
Oxford (1990: 39, in Szpotowicz, 2008: 104) notices that memory strategies,
among all language learning strategies, are the most helpful in acquiring and remembering
word meanings and can facilitate language learning. The author underlines the fact that
they make it possible for the students to store and retrieve information. What is more,
memory strategies aid moving the material from the knowledge to practical skills. When a
given skill is mastered, it is more likely to be remembered.
Szpotowicz and Szulc-Kurpaska (2009: 102) also mention mnemotechniques, as
these vocabulary learning strategies which facilitate acquisition and recall of words. In
their work mnemonics such as the Story Method, the Place Method and the Pegword
Method are described and discussed.
The mnemotechniques mentioned above are the strategies in vocabulary learning and
teaching which will be discussed in the next chapter.
12
2. Mnemotechniques
The following chapter deals with mnemotechniques in foreign language education in
elementary school students. Learning new vocabulary is of great significance to language
learners, especially for those at elementary level, as it helps them familiarize with the new
language. One of the ways to help the learners in committing words to memory is by using
mnemonics. The chapter provides definition of the notion of mnemotechniques, as well as
its origins. Another important aspect discussed in the chapter is a distinction of
mnemonics. It includes a thorough description, the main principles and assumptions of the
following mnemonic techniques: the Keyword Method, the Visual Method, the Spatial
Grouping and Grouping, the Peg Method, the Physical Response Method, the Loci Method
and the Word Chain.
2.1.
13
to identify the bodies, because he searched in the correct places. Simonides came to the
conclusion, that associating names, ideas, words or objects with fixed positions in space
can be helpful in memorizing them. For centuries, this ancient technique was used for
remembering massive amount of material. The Loci method was a powerful memory aid,
especially when the printed word didnt exist. Thanks to the method, ancient stories and
myths were stored in peoples memories. The next section will include a broader
description of the method.
2.2.
Distinction
Linguistic Mnemonics (they include: the Peg Method, the Keyword Method). They
require connecting a new word with one already known or with a word in mother
tongue.
The Spatial Mnemonics (the Loci Method, Spatial Grouping), which deal with
associating the object in a given place.
The Physical Response Method, that involves physical activity to remember a given
word better.
Verbal Elaboration Methods (Grouping, the Word Chain), that require organizing
material by grouping, associating words in a list with the preceding and the
following one.
Kamiska (2004: 11-13) in her work presents several distinctions that help to classify
mnemotechniques. The first one separates memory aids into two general types: internal
and external ones. Internal memory aids involve reliance on one's mental activity. People
often use them, when they do not want to rely on external prompts. A good example of
internal memory aid can be repetition or mental rehearsing. External memory aids, on the
other hand are concrete, physical objects. They are also used in everyday life. Simple
actions like making lists or putting an object in one special place fall under this category.
14
15
2.3.
Features
16
All those properties are vital when describing mnemonic techniques, as they show
what is essential if they are to function effectively.
2.4.
2.4.1.
The Keyword Method (also called the Keyword Technique) is probably the most
popular, as well as most investigated mnemotechnique (Thompson, 1987: 44). It was
developed by Atkinson (1975) when psychologists researched the subject of mental
imagery (Kamiska, 2004: 49). The technique involves creating an image which links the
pronunciation of an L2 word with the meaning of a L1 word (Thornbury, 2002: 145). The
keyword is a word in the native language which sounds similar to a foreign one. It has no
other relationship with the foreign word except for the similarity in sound. The Keyword
Technique divides the study of a word into two stages. The first one requires the learner to
associate the spoken foreign word with a native language belonging vocabulary item,
which sounds similar to a part of the foreign word. The item here is the keyword and in
this stage the words are conned by a similarity in sound- a learner forms an acoustic link.
In the second stage the mnemonic or imagery link is formed. The student creates a mental
image that interacts with the word in native language. This mnemonic technique is
described as a chain of two links that connect a foreign word with its translation in the
mother tongue (Atkinson 1975: 391).
This section discusses different examples of using the Keyword Technique
provided by several authors. They present learning not only English, but also Spanish,
Maori, Russian and German vocabulary. The chosen examples provided by researchers
interested in the topic of the Keyword Technique are clear and help to understand how the
method can be used and how it is applied. Thornbury (2002: 145) provides the following
example: when learning a word aroha (love in Maori), the author pictured a Cupid with a
bow and arrow, because the word sounded like word arrow + -er. To learn the German
word Ei which means egg, one can establish an acoustic link with the word eye and
imagine an egg with an eye in the middle of it, and the Spanish word pan which means
bread, can be grasped by imagining a pan with a loaf of bread in it (Thompson, 1897: 44).
Kamiska (2004: 49) describes how an English word vulture can be learned using the
17
keyword technique. The learner can associate the word with Polish walcz (the acoustic
link). The next step is imagining a person who is fighting a vulture (mental image). Figure
2 presents how the word web is learned with the use of the Keyword Method.
Figure 2 The scheme of learning the word "web" using the Keyword Method (after Kamiska, 2004: 49)
Atkinson (1975: 392) considers a few examples from Spanish and Russian. Those
languages were used for most of his research on the Keyword Method. In Spanish the word
pato means duck. It is pronounced like pot-o, so in this example, the English word
pot can be a keyword. A learner can create a funny mental image of a duck wearing a pot
as a hat.
Figure 3 Learning the word "pato" using the Keyword Method (after Atkinson, 1975: 392)
18
One more example is also from Spanish: the word for horse is cabello (pronunciation
something like: cob-eye-yo). The part of this Spanish word is similar to an English word
eye. Eye is employed as a keyword and one can imagine a giant eye which is kicked by a
horse or a horse with one, big eye.
Figure 4 Learning the word "cabello" using the Keyword Method (after Atkinson, 1975: 392)
The Russian word for bell is zwonk and is pronounced like zwahn-oak with the last
syllable stressed. The syllable contains a sound that reminds of the English word oak.
Using oak as a keyword, learner can create variety of mental images. An oak with little
bells instead of acorns can be one of the examples.
Figure 5 Learning the word "zvonok" using the Keyword Method (after Atkinson, 1975: 392)
19
The method is applied by introducing to the learners a series of spoken foreign words
together with their pronunciation. While pronouncing, the keyword and the translation are
presented. At the time, a learner has to associate the sound of a given foreign word with the
keyword and produce a mental image that connects the translation of the word with a
keyword (Atkinson, Raugh, 1975: 130).
In the method, selecting a keyword is an important aspect. Finding keywords takes
time and requires practice (Thornbury, 2002: 145). According to Atkinson and Raugh
(1975: 127), a keyword is considered to be good when it satisfies the following criteria:
It sounds as much as it is possible like a part of foreign word (not necessarily the
whole word);
It is easy to find a memorable imagery link that connects the keyword with its
translation;
The keyword differs from the other keywords used in the text vocabulary.
Other studies emphasized another factors that influence the effectiveness of keywords, but
the first two criteria mentioned above are considered as the most important (Kamiska,
2004: 52). The first one allows flexibility when it comes to the choice of keywords and the
second one must be fulfilled to make the mental image as easy to remember as possible.
Figure 6 Learning family members using Spatial Grouping (after Holden, 1999: 46)
Figure 6 shows how one can learn family members using this mnemotechnique. The
words: sister, brother, mother, father, grandmother, grandfather are placed on a family tree.
2.4.4. Grouping
The material organized in some fashion is easily stored and retrieved from longterm memory. Learners can use the organization of knowledge to their benefit. To organize
the items to be learned, one should make them fit into a framework- pre-existing or new
one, which would connect the new material into a unit which is arranged in some fashion
(Thompson, 1987: 46). Grouping appears to be a good example of organizing vocabulary
21
items. To use this method, one should separate the words to be learned into easy to
remember units or groups (Holden, 1999: 43). For instance: topic (family, animals,
environment), grammatical function (verb, adjective), synonyms or opposites.
GROUP
EXAMPLES OF WORDS
family
adjectives
synonyms
opposites
Table 1: Learning new vocabulary using Grouping (after Holden, 1999: 43)
Thompson (1987: 46) mentions the studies in which subjects were given a list of words to
study and then asked to recall as many of them as they can. The studies showed, that if
items to be learned are organized in some fashion before memorization, the recall is
enhanced. Grouping words in mother tongue improves recall, so it would also be helpful in
learning vocabulary in the foreign language.
2.4.5.
The peg method is the memory aid which involves linking unrelated vocabulary
items with memorized pegs or hooks. Those pegs can vary from words that rhyme to
numbers. A popular rhyme: one is a bun, two is a shoe, three is a tree, four is a door, five
is a hive, six are sticks, seven is heaven, eight is a gate, nine is a line, ten is a hen contains
a set of pegs. If the student is required to memorize a list of words, he or she learns the first
vocabulary item by creating a picture of it and a bun, the second one with a shoe and so on
(if the firs word is cat and the second is fox, one can imagine a cat eating a bun and
then a fox wearing shoes) (Thompson, 198: 447). Holden (1999: 45) provides another
example of pegs, namely, the days of the week (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday).
Learners can associate them with different types of weather and imagine the sky on a given
day. For instance: Monday- muggy, Tuesday-torpid, Wednesday- windy, Thursday22
The Physical Response Method requires its user to move their body or parts of their
body in a certain way which illustrates the meaning of the word to be learned (Kamiska,
2004: 43). Performing a physical activity that represents a given vocabulary item results in
a better recall that repeating the word (Thompson, 1987: 45). Some methods used in the
classroom, such as the Physical Response Method include physical activity. Its elements
are employed especially when learning and practicing verbs (Kamiska, 2004: 43). To
memorize the word tiptoe, the learner can get up on the tiptoes and dance like a ballerina
or slink like a thief (Holden, 1999: 45). Students can also perform actions like closing the
window, waving their hands or even pretending that they are cooking or drinking to
memorize verbs. Facial expressions can also be treated as a physical activity, so learners
can practice adjectives that express opinions and moods (angry, sad, happy, irritated, etc.)
using this technique. It is helpful in recalling new vocabulary (Holden, 1999: 45).
23
This chapter focused on the problem of chosen mnemonic techniques which aid
vocabulary learning. When discussing mnemonics it is vital to concentrate on their main
assumptions and to analyze examples that illustrate how they can be used. The following
mnemotechniques: the Keyword Method, the Visual Method, the Spatial Grouping and
Grouping, the Peg Method, the Physical Response Method, the Loci Method and the Word
Chain were chosen, because they are easy to understand and to use, so they would suit
primary school students' needs. Mnemonics presented above require pupils to use their
own imagination (creating mental pictures), draw, perform body movements and arrange
the knowledge in a specific pattern, so they may be an attractive alternative to the
traditional vocabulary learning strategies.
24
3. Method
Mnemotechniques can be used in foreign language teaching and learning processes.
The aim of the study is to investigate the problem of using mnemonic devices by English
teachers in Polish elementary schools. The following chapter presents the methodological
details of the study. It introduces the thesis and the research questions, as well as
information concerning the method of collecting data. In order to discover if
mnemotechniques are used in foreign language education in elementary schools, which
mnemonics are most frequently used, how they are used and finally- if they are a useful
tool in vocabulary learning and teaching, it is vital to ask English teachers about their
attitude towards the issue.
3.1.
Thesis
The thesis of the diploma the work is the following: Mnemotechniques are a useful
tool in vocabulary learning and teaching for elementary school students.
The aim of the work is to investigate if employing mnemonic techniques as foreign
language vocabulary teaching and learning strategies help pupils to remember and recall
the items of a language.
3.2.
Research questions
The main research question is the following: Are mnemontechniques a useful tool
in vocabulary learning and teaching for elementary school students? In order to be able to
answer the main research question the following sub-questions have to be considered:
25
26
3.3.
Data collection
The purpose of the research is to investigate the teachers' interest in the usage of
mnemotechniques during English classes at elementary school level. It is designed in order
to find answers to the research questions stated above. In the research the instruments
which would be used to collect the data are the questionnaire and the interview which
would provide necessary information about using mnemonic techniques to teach
vocabulary by English teachers. The following section contains the details about the
subjects (respondents- English teachers) and the research method instruments used in the
study.
3.3.1.
Subjects
The subjects are randomly selected elementary level teachers. Twenty teachers of
elementary schools would be asked questions concerning using mnemotechniques in
foreign (English) language education. Twenty female teachers would participate in the
study. The main reason for choosing women only to participate in this study is that there is
a majority of female teachers in Poland, especially in elementary schools. They would be
selected from Silesian elementary schools. Their work experience varies between one and
more than eleven years. They teach students from first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth
grade of elementary schools. All teachers will answer questions concerning mnemonic
techniques included in the questionnaire and in the interview.
Likert scale questionnaire for the research data collection tool was that it is the most
suitable way to collect information concerning using mnemotechniques by English
teachers in elementary schools. It is a psychometric scale that has multiple categories
from which respondents choose to indicate their opinions, attitudes or feelings about a
particular issue [2], so it allows the respondents to answer according to their opinion.
This kind of questionnaire is the best data-gathering tool for this study. One advantage of
Likert-scale questionnaire is that necessary data can be collected from a large number of
teachers in a relatively quick way. What is more, the provided data can be successfully
contrasted and compared. The respondents (English teachers) will be given several
questions concerning their attitude towards issues connected with using mnemotechniques.
The questionnaire would include six-point scale, where the highest number, the more the
respondent agrees with the statement. It allows the respondents to express their opinion
about a given issue.
Strongly
Disagree
Slightly
Slightly
Agree
Strongly
disagree
agree
disagree
agree
Some of the statements include sub-questions which require the respondents to give details
of a given issue and therefore provide information necessary for the study. The subquestions regard mainly different mnemonic techniques.
The interview consists of three open questions to be answered by randomly selected
teachers of English working for elementary schools. Those questions could not be included
in the Likert scale questionnaire, as they require more detailed answers that cannot be
measured by the 1-6 or yes/no scale. The first question will help to discover if the teachers
use mnemonic techniques and what are the reasons for applying or not applying them. The
question number 2 concerns the issue of choosing the right mnemotechniques taking the
individual needs as well as learning styles of the students into account. The last question is
also significant, as it will help to answer if the traditional methods of teaching vocabulary
28
used by the English teachers in elementary schools can be replaced by teaching vocabulary
using mnemonic techniques.
The Likert-scale questionnaire and the interview with the teachers used in the study will
allow to look more deeply into the problem and provide a lot of details concerning the use
of mnemonic techniques in elementary schools. The statements in the questionnaire and
questions in the interview are constructed in a way which will help to answer the main
research question as well as sub-questions stated above.
3.4.
The Likert scale questionnaire, as well as the questions included in the interview
are designed to provide information necessary for the study. Using mnemonic techniques
in the process of foreign language education in elementary school students appears to be a
complex issue, that is why it is difficult to predict the results of the study. The
questionnaire and the interview will help to discover if the teachers use mnemonics to
teach vocabulary and if they find them useful. What is more, aspects of introducing
mnemotechniques as well as their attractiveness and motivational role will be investigated.
Another aim of the research is to discover how often mnemotechniques are used by the
teachers. The results of the research will show which mnemotechniques from a given list
(the Keyword Method, the Visual Method, the Spatial Grouping, Grouping, the Peg
Method, the Physical Response Method, the Loci Method and the Word Chain) are the
most frequently used and considered as the most useful and helpful.
The teachers would also be asked several questions concerning the use of
mnemotechniques at elementary level. The interview will provide necessary data
connected with choosing the right mnemonic technique for the given type of student. The
answers given by the teachers will show if mnemonic techniques can be an alternative way
of teaching English vocabulary to elementary school students.
Stating the research questions as well as designing the Likert-scale questionnaire
was necessary before investigating the problem of using mnemotechniques by English
teachers in elementary schools. All of the elements would be helpful in carrying out the
research and answering the research questions posted in the study. The following chapter
includes an examination and a discussion of the results of the research.
29
4. Results
This chapter presents the discussion and the analysis of the research conducted to
investigate the problem of mnemonic techniques in the process of foreign (English)
education in elementary school students. The aim of the study is to show, that mnemonics
are useful tools in vocabulary learning and teaching for elementary school students. In this
chapter, the results of the questionnaire and the interview will be presented and interpreted.
What is more, all the research questions will be answered and discussed.
4.1.
Before filling the questionnaire, the respondents were requested to indicate their
gender, work experience, the city where they work and if they teach lower primary
students, upper primary students or both. 100% of the participants were female teachers.
What is more, 100% of the teachers teach both lower and upper primary students.
Work experience of the teachers varies between 1 year and more than 11 years.
Figure 7 shows the number and the percentage of the teachers and their years of
experience.
Work experience
50%
10%
1-5 years
6-10 years
11 and more years
40%
Figure 7 Percentage distribution: work experience of the respondents
According to the data presented above, most of the participants of the study are
teachers with work experience longer than 11 years (50%). 40% of the participants
indicated, that their work experience varies between 6 and 10 years. The smallest group of
30
the teachers (10%) were women with a relatively short work experience, that is from 1 to
5 years.
The respondents were required to indicate the place where they teach. The teachers
could choose from the following categories: village, city: 10 000-50 000 people, city:
50 000-100 000 people and city: 100 000 and more. The percentage of the respondents
teaching in a given area are presented in Figure 8.
35%
25%
Village
City: 10 000-50 000 people
City: 50 000-100 000 people
City: 100 000 and more
0%
40%
Most of the teachers (40%) who participated in the study work in cities with a population
of 10 000 to 50 000 people. 35% of the respondents teach in schools located in a larger
city. The smallest group of the teachers work in schools located in villages.
4.2.
The questionnaire
31
classes. In the last two questions the respondents had to evaluate mnemonic techniques
and indicate which mnemonics are used by them. The table below shows how many
answers were given in each category.
Agree
Strongly
agree
13
10
10
Mnemotechniques motivate
students to learn new vocabulary.
Using mnemotechniques in
teaching vocabulary improves
students' grades.
10
Never
Very
rarely
Rarely
10
Strongly
disagree
0%
Strongly
agree
10%
Question number 1
Disagree
5%
Slightly
disagree
10%
Slightly
agree
0%
Agree
75%
75% of the respondents agree with the following statement: I use mnemonic techniques to
teach vocabulary. 10% of the participants strongly agree. On the other hand, 10% claim
that they slightly disagree and 5% indicates that they disagree. There is no person who
strongly disagrees. From the presented data it can be assumed that most of the teachers use
mnemonics to teach vocabulary to elementary school students.
The second statement included in the questionnaire helped to discover if the
teachers consider mnemotechniques useful in foreign language teaching. The necessary
data are presented in the chart below (Figure 10).
Strongly
disagree
0%
Question number
2
Disagree
5%
Strongly
agree
30%
Slightly
disagree
10%
Slightly
agree
5%
Agree
50%
Half of the respondents agrees with the statement. What is more, 30% of the teachers
strongly agree that mnemonic techniques are useful in foreign language teaching. Another
5% of the respondents slightly agree, while 10% slightly disagree and 5% disagree with
33
the statement. Summing up, most of the teachers agree that mnemonics are helpful in
teaching vocabulary to elementary school students.
The next question concerns the rules and the explanation of a given mnemonic
device provided by teachers. The answers are presented in the chart below (Figure 11).
Question number 3
Strongly
disagree
9%
Slightly agree
46%
Disagree
27%
Slightly
disagree
18%
Figure 11 Percentage distribution: question number 3
46% of the respondents claim that they slightly agree with the statement. 27% of the
teachers disagree, 18% slightly disagree and 9% strongly disagree. It means, that almost
half of the respondents give the name and the explanation of mnemotechniques used
during the lessons. The rest might not pay attention to explaining the rules of
mnemotechniques.
Another important aspect which is vital for the study is the influence of using
mnemonics on students grades, the learners interest in the lesson and their motivation.
The next three questions are strictly connected with the issues and presented in the Figure
12, Figure 13 and Figure 14.
34
Strongly
disagree
0%
Strongly
agree
15%
Slightly
disagree
0%
Question number 4
Disagree
0%
Slightly agree
35%
Agree
50%
According to the chart, half of the respondents agrees with the statement that using
mnemonic techniques rises students interest during the lesson. 15% of the teachers claim
that they strongly agree and 35% that they slightly agree. None of the respondents
disagrees.
Strongly
disagree
0%
Question number 5
Slightly
disagree
20%
Strongly agree
15%
Agree
30%
Disagree
0%
Slightly agree
35%
The chart shows, that 35% of the teachers slightly agree that mnemonic techniques have a
motivational role in vocabulary learning and teaching. 30% of the respondents agree and
15% strongly agree with the hypothesis. Part of the asked teachers (which is 20%) slightly
disagrees with the statement. It means, that they are sceptic when it comes to the relation
between mnemotechniques and motivation or the they have not tried to make use of
35
Question number 6
Strongly
disagre
0% agree
Strongly
Disagee
4%
Slightly
disagree
15%
27%
Slightly agree
35%
Agree
19%
Most of the teachers agree with the statement: 35% chooses the answer: slightly agree,
27%: strongly agree and 19%: agree. A part of the respondents (15%) claims, that they
slightly disagree. 4% of the teachers do not believe that using mnemotechniques can
improve students grades.
In the question number 7 the teachers were asked if mnemonic techniques are the
main techniques used by them. The answers are presented in the chart below.
Strongly
agree
0%
Question number 7
Agree
15%
Strongly
disagree
10%
Disagree
15%
Slightly agree
10%
Slightly
disagree
50%
36
Only 10 and 15% of the respondents agree with the statement. 50% of the teachers slightly
disagree, 15% disagree and 10% strongly disagree, which means that most of the teachers
claim that mnemonics are not the main techniques/methods used to teach vocabulary.
The teachers were asked about the frequency of using mnemonic techniques to
teach vocabulary during their classes. The results are presented in Figure 16.
Very
frequently
0%
Very
Question number 8 rarely
Never
0%
Frequently
60%
5%
Rarely
5%
Occasionally
30%
The data show that many teachers frequently use mnemonics (60%). 30% of the
respondents claim to use them occasionally. 5% apply these techniques rarely and 5% very
rarely. The provided data helped to discover that mnemonics are used by most of the
teachers teaching in elementary schools.
The second part of the questionnaire required the respondents to evaluate the
mnemonic techniques chosen by the author of the diploma work, which were also
described in the second chapter: the Keyword Method, the Visual Method, the Spatial
Grouping, Grouping, the Peg Method, the Physical Response Method, the Loci Method
and the Word Chain. The questions were the following: Which of these mnemotechniques
do you use? Do you consider these mnemotechniques useful and helpful in teaching and
learning vocabulary? Those question helped to discover which mnemonic techniques are
the most frequently used by the teachers of elementary schools and which
mnemotechniques are the most useful and helpful for elementary school students. The two
bar graphs (Figure 17 and Figure 18) below show the results.
37
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
YES
NO
The Physical Response Method is the mnemotechnique that is very frequently used by
English teachers. 95% of the respondents claim to use it. The Visual Method and Grouping
(both 90%) is also common. 65% of the teachers apply the Loci Method during their
classes. The Keyword Method, which is one of the most popular mnemotechniques for
teaching vocabulary is used by 55% of the teachers who took part in the study. The two
methods which are rarely applied by the respondents are the Word Chain (40%) and the
Peg Method (35%).
Figure 18 presents which mnemotechniques are and are not considered by the
respondents as the most useful and helpful in teaching and learning vocabulary.
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
YES
NO
38
The results overlap with those connected with the previous question. Grouping (95%) the
Physical Response Method (95%), the Visual Method (90%), the Spatial Grouping (80%),
and the Loci Method (70%) are chosen to be the most useful and helpful mnemonic
techniques in vocabulary teaching and learning. Even the teachers who claimed not to use
some mnemonics admitted that they might be useful tools in teaching elementary level
students. the Word Chain (60% of the teachers claiming that this mnemotechnique is not
useful) and the Peg Method (55% answers for NO) according to the results, are considered
as the least useful in foreign language education.
4.3.
The interview
The teachers were also asked three questions included in the interview. The
interviewees answered according to their beliefs and their experience. The responses were
clear and provided the data necessary for the study.
The first question concerns using mnemotechniques and the factors that make a given
mnemonic useful. Two of the interviewees answered, that they usually do not use
mnemonic techniques (Figure 19).
10%
I choose to use
mnemotechniques
I do not choose to
use
mnemotechniques
90%
.
develop students creativity and motivate the students to learn vocabulary. They indicate,
that using mnemotechniques is connected with active acquisition of knowledge. Table 4
presents the answers given by the respondents.
Too time-consuming
students
The teachers also had to indicate what makes the mnemotechniques useful. The
answers are presented in Figure 20.
Using humour
Interesting
Including movement and action
Not too complicated
Vivid
Number of interviewees
mentioning a given feature
Including images
Easy to remember
Simple
Creative
0
10
15
20
Most of the teachers believe that a useful mnemonic technique is the one that has a visual
element. The interviewees claim, that mnemonics should also be easy to remember (16
40
answers) and simple (15 answers). 9 teachers mentioned, that a useful mnemonic includes
action or movement. Among other answers there appeared the following features: using
humor, interesting, not too complicated, vivid and creative.
The next question is strictly connected with choosing mnemonic techniques
according to the students preferences, types and multiple intelligences. Majority of the
interviewees replied that students multiple intelligences should influence the choice of
mnemotechniques.
90%
Disagree
The teachers who agreed with the statement, claimed, that mnemonic techniques are most
effective when they are applied according to students intelligences. Teachers who know
their students can easily choose a mnemonic that would suit the learners and facilitate
vocabulary acquisition. The interviewees gave some examples. One of them mentioned,
that kinesthetic learners might be interested in mnemonics that include actions and
movements. For them, the Physical Response Method would be the most suitable. Half of
the interviewed teachers claimed, that if the students are visual learners all mnemonics
connected with showing pictures or even creating mental images would be helpful in the
acquisition of vocabulary. Mnemotechniqes such as the Visual Method or even the Spatial
Grouping would be the most attractive for those type of learners. Three of the teachers
mentioned about students with verbal-linguistic intelligence who would be interested in the
Word Chain technique.
On the other hand, two of the interviewed teachers were of a different opinion. The
first teacher claimed, that mnemonics should be applied no matter which intelligences
dominate in the classroom. The interviewee explained, that according to her experience
different mnemonics were used for students with various intelligences and she was
satisfied with the results. The second respondent was against using mnemonic techniques
41
for elementary school students in general. The teacher added, that choosing the right
mnemonic technique according to students types and intelligences can be a difficult task,
especially for the beginner teachers, as it takes a lot of time and effort to learn about all the
individual preferences of students.
The last question was also vital to the study. The interviewees were required to
wonder if mnemonic techniques could replace the traditional ways of teaching vocabulary
to elementary school students. 100% of the teachers claimed, that mnemonic techniques
cannot be the only methods used to teach and learn foreign language vocabulary. All the
interviewees answered, that mnemonic devices should not replace other ways of
vocabulary learning and teaching, but should complement them. The teachers provided
different reasons, which are presented in Figure 22.
Number of interviewees
mentioning a given reason
Figure 22 Reasons why mnemotechniques cannot replace other methods of teaching vocabulary
As the bar graph shows, the answer which indicates that it is difficult to teach some
vocabulary items using mnemotechniques (6 answers) appeared the most frequently.
Another reasons which occurred several times were the following: applying mnemonics
can be time-consuming (4 answers), using mnemonics too much can lead to confusion and
some mnemonics can be problematic for young learners (3 answers for each reasons). The
teachers also mentioned, that some words are learnt best in context , using
mnemotechniques requires training and some of those mnemonics are short-term.
It can be concluded that even the teachers who claim to use mnemotechniques and
42
consider them to be a useful tool in teaching vocabulary also believe that mnemonics
should not replace other approaches to vocabulary learning and teaching. They assume that
it would be a difficult task to apply only mnemotechniques to teach vocabulary to
elementary school students.
4.4.
acquisition and enhance the retrieval. It was also discovered, that a useful mnemonic
should be: creative, simple, easy to remember, not too complicated, humorous and
interesting for young learners. The mnemotechniques should also include images, use
movement and action. What is more, mnemonics should be applied according to students
multiple intelligences, what makes the usage of mnemotechnique even more effective and
interesting.
4.4.4. Are mnemonic techniques attractive for elementary school students?
The research shows, that using mnemonics makes the lessons more attractive and
interesting for the students. Some of the teachers are of the opinion, that mnemonics may
motivate students to learn new vocabulary. It should be underlined, that using mnemonics
may be an interesting alternative for traditional methods of teaching and learning
vocabulary. Most of the teachers claim, that mnemonics improve their students grades, so
it can be another reason for applying them during their classes.
4.4.5. Can mnemotechniques replace the traditional ways of teaching and
learning vocabulary?
Undoubtedly, mnemonics are attractive and useful methods for teaching and
learning vocabulary, what has hopefully been shown in the paper. What is more, they are
popular among English teachers. However, it is vital to wonder if mnemotechniques can
replace other methods for vocabulary learning and teaching. All the teachers who
participated in the study unanimously claimed that mnemotechniques could not replace
other approaches and techniques to teaching and learning vocabulary (question number 3
from the interview). Mnemotechniqes, although very useful, should have the
complementing role in vocabulary teaching and learning. There are various reasons why
applying mnemonics as the only techniques can be a difficult for teachers and learners. The
study shows that there are some reasons which show why using mnemonics exclusively
might be problematic. Firstly, the application of mnemotechniques is limited. Sometimes it
is difficult to teach and learn some vocabulary using mnemonic techniques only (for
example some abstract words). What is more, some words are learnt best in more natural,
contextual conditions. Using mnemotechniques can be very time-consuming and
sometimes confusing for children. The teachers who took part in the study mostly agree
that mnemonics are very helpful tools, but when used as additional techniques mostly.
44
4.5.
Conclusions
The study conducted by the author of the diploma work showed, that mnemonic
techniques are a useful tool in vocabulary learning and teaching for elementary school
students.
vocabulary and be an attractive part of the lesson. Most of the teachers claim to use them
during their classes to teach vocabulary, because the techniques boost long-term memory
and are forms of active acquisition of knowledge. Mnemonics improve the ability to
organize the information, enhance the retrieval and help students to be more creative.
Mnemotechniques such as the Physical Response Method, the Visual Method and the
Keyword Method are very frequently used by teachers in elementary schools. Those
techniques are considered to be helpful for young learners in vocabulary acquisition. What
is more, mnemonic techniques are the most effective when used according to student
leading intelligences. Although, the study helped to discover the disadvantage of using
mnemonic techniques. Namely, they cannot replace other methods of teaching and learning
foreign vocabulary. On the other hand, they are extremely useful as these techniques that
complement vocabulary teaching.
45
Final remarks
The problem of using mnemotechniques in teaching and learning English as a
foreign language in elementary schools appears to be a complex issue, that is why the
author of the paper decided to investigate the problem more deeply. The author chose the
subject as the field of the study to encourage foreign language teachers, as well as foreign
language learners to use mnemonic techniques in the process of foreign language
education.
When writing the thesis, the author had to face some obstacles. Firstly, finding
appropriate works connected strictly with mnemonic techniques was a difficult task. There
are still not enough works which discuss the problem of mnemotechniques as the tool used
to teach and learn foreign language vocabulary. Most of them included information about
the Keyword Method, which appears to be the most popular mnemonic device. Mnemonics
such as the Word Chain or the Spatial Grouping were discussed only by some authors.
What is more, the study required finding twenty teachers willing to help with the research.
It has to be indicated, that not all of the teachers agreed to fill in the questionnaire and
answer the questions included in the interview. Some of the teachers claimed that they do
not have time.
The paper includes all the information necessary for understanding what the
mnemonic techniques are and how they can be used by teachers and learners. Although
there are works which discuss the problem, none of them shows which mnemonics are the
most popular and frequently used by the teachers from elementary schools. It gathers the
necessary knowledge connected with mnemotechniques in one paper and explains the issue
in a clear way. The work aims at showing teachers that mnemonics, although sometimes
underestimated, can be helpful in teaching vocabulary to their students.
46
Summary
This paper elaborates on the topic of mnemonic techniques in the process of foreign
language education in elementary school students. The aim of the work is to show that
mnemonic techniques are tools which help the learners acquire English vocabulary. The
theoretical part of the work discusses the complex problem of vocabulary acquisition and
the role of memory. It also provides definitions, origins, distinction and features of
mnemonics, as well as the description of eight mnemotechniques: the Keyword Method,
the Visual Method, the Spatial Grouping, Grouping, the Peg Method, the Physical
Response Method, the Loci Method and the Word Chain. The main assumptions of the
techniques and examples are presented. The study conducted by the author helped to
collect the necessary data. The questionnaire and the interview were applied as data
collection tools. The subjects were randomly selected elementary level teachers who
answered the questions included in the questionnaire and the interview. The research
revealed, that mnemonics are frequently and willingly used by the teachers of elementary
schools. The Physical Response Method, the Visual Method, Grouping, the Loci Method
and the Keyword Method were discovered to be the most popular and helpful
mnemotechniques used by the teachers of English in elementary schools.
47
Streszczenie
Niniejsza praca podejmuje tematyk stosowania technik pamiciowych w
nauczaniu oraz uczeniu si sownictwa w jzyku angielskim przez nauczycieli i uczniw
szk podstawowych. S one pomocne w przyswajaniu, a take zapamitywaniu nowych
sw. Cz teoretyczna pracy zawiera informacje dotyczce procesu akwizycji
sownictwa, a take roli pamici w uczeniu si sw. W pracy zostaje wyjanione pojcie
techniki pamiciowej, a take przedstawiona geneza technik. Rozdzia drugi zawiera opis,
a take przykady mnemotechnik. S to midzy innymi metoda sw kluczowych,
acuchowa metoda zapamitywania, metoda wizualna, metoda miejsc, grupowanie,
metoda reagowania caym ciaem. Gwnym celem pracy byo ukazanie, e techniki
pamiciowe s uytecznymi narzdziami, jeeli chodzi o nauk oraz nauczanie
sownictwa. Kolejnym celem byo zbadanie, ktre z mnemotechnik s najczciej
stosowane wrd nauczycieli jzyka angielskiego, ktre z nich s najbardziej pomocne
oraz czy moliwym jest zastpienie tradycyjnych metod nauczania i uczenia si
sownictwa
technikami
pamiciowymi.
Badania
zostay
przeprowadzone
wrd
48
References
Web sources
[1] http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/mnemonic (accessed on 19 December 2014)
[2] Nemoto, T., Beglar, D. (2014), Developing Likert-scale questionnaires, Retrieved
from http://jalt-publications.org/proceedings/issues/2014-08_2013.1 (accessed on 13
February 2015)
Book sources
Allen, V.F. (1983), Techniques in Teaching Vocabulary, Oxford University Press: Oxford
Atkinson, R.C. (1975), Mnemotechnics in Second Language Learning, [in:] American
Psychologist, 30, pp 821-828
Atkinson, R.C., Raugh, M.R. (1975), An application of the mnemonic keyword method to
the acquisition of Russian vocabulary, [in:] Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human
Learning and Memory, 104, pp 126-133
Belleza, F.S. (1981), Mnemonic devices: Classification, characteristics, and criteria, [in:]
Review of Educational Research, 51, pp 247-275
Carter, R. (1987), Vocabulary, Applied Linguistic Perspectives, Routledge: New York.
Dakowska, M. (2007), Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Wydawnictwo Naukowe
PWN: Warszawa
Geiselman, R. Edward; Fisher, Ronald P.; MacKinnon, David P.; Holland, Heidi L. (1985),
Eyewitness memory enhancement in the police interview: Cognitive retrieval mnemonics
versus hypnosis, [in:] Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol 70(2), pp 401-412
Holden, W. R. (1999), Learning to learn: 15 vocabulary acquisition activities, [in:] Modern
English Teacher, 8 (1), pp 42, 47
Kamiska, P.M. (2004), Mnemonic Devices in Language Learning, Wydawnictwo
Naukowe Uniwersytetu Szczeciskiego: Szczecin
49
50
Appendices
Appendix 1
Questionnaire
The purpose of the questionnaire is to collect information necessary for the BA Thesis. The
questionnaire is anonymous and volunatry and intended for scientific purposes. After all,
all the evidence will be destroyed.
Gender:
Male
Work experience:
1-5 years
School location:
Students (upper
primary/lover primary
students/both)
Female
Village
6-10 years
11 and more
Upper primary
students
Lower primary
students
Both
Agree
Strongly
agree
Mnemotechniques motivate
students to learn new vocabulary.
Using mnemotechniques in
teaching vocabulary improves
students' grades.
Very
rarely
Rarely
YES
NO
YES
NO
Appendix 2
Interview
1. Why do you choose to use/ not to use mnemonics? What makes a given mnemonic
technique useful?
2. Should the type of the students and students multiple intelligences influence the
choice of mnemonic techniques?
3. Can mnemonic techniques replace the traditional ways of teaching and learning
vocabulary? Why/why not?