The Effects of the Keyword Method on Junior High School

Students’ Vocabulary Learning

Cheng, Pei-fen 鄭佩芬

Department of Applied Foreign Language

National Pingtung Institute of Commerce

國立屏東商業技術學院

Abstract

Among various mnemonic strategies, the keyword method has been widely studied for its effectiveness and applicability in facilitating memory retention of new vocabulary and their meaning (Lawson ＆ Hogben, 1998；Wang ＆ Thomas, 1995). Nevertheless, the effectiveness and the long-term effects of the keyword method still remain in dispute. Furthermore, very little research (i.e., Chen, 2006 ＆ Lin, 2005） discussing the keyword method was conducted in Taiwan. The current study aimed to probe into the effectiveness and the long-term retention of the keyword method on EFL junior high school students’ vocabulary learning. Additionally, students’ in-depth perceptions of the keyword method were examined. Two intact ninth-grade EFL classes with 84 students from a junior high school in Kaohsiung County participated in the study. They were randomly assigned to either the experimental group（the keyword method group, n=42）or the control group（the rehearsal method group, n=42）. A vocabulary pretest, immediate and one-week delayed vocabulary recall posttests and the interview were used as instruments to collect data. The independent-sample t-test was applied to analyze the data from all tests. Based on data analysis, three major findings were summarized as follows. First, the keyword method group significantly outperformed the rehearsal method group, indicating that the keyword method was more beneficial to vocabulary learning. Second, compared to the rehearsal method, the keyword method had better long-term effects on vocabulary retention. Third, most students had positive attitudes towards the keyword method. From the findings mentioned above, two pedagogical implications in EFL vocabulary teaching and learning can be derived. First, since the keyword method facilities students in vocabulary learning, teachers are encouraged to adopt this method to enhance students; vocabulary learning. Second, teachers should teach students more vocabulary learning strategies so that students can become independent and strategic in order to cope with different learning situations.

Key words: vocabulary learning, vocabulary learning strategy, the keyword method

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background and Motivation

Nowadays, when it comes to English learning and teaching, almost everyone would think of four skills－listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Each of them is known to be important and cannot be ignored. To be good at any one of them, vocabulary, undoubtedly, plays an important and dominant role. The mastery of vocabulary is an essential component of second language acquisition. Vocabulary is also primary concern in L2 settings because it plays prominent role in classroom success (Krashen ＆ Terrell, 1983). Indeed, to understand or produce a simple sentence, a paragraph, or even an article, enough vocabulary is essential. It’s just like building a house. Without adequate bricks and steel bars, it’s impossible to build a steady house. Likewise, being in lack of ample vocabulary knowledge and grammar knowledge, it is difficult for learners to have good comprehension or express themselves well. Therefore, sufficient vocabulary knowledge can apparently benefit our comprehension or communication.

However, for learners, how can they enlarge their word bank？On the other hand, what strategies or methods should teachers teach to help their students learn new words？ Many EFL or ESL students really have problems enlarging their word bank. Most of them often feel frustrated because no matter how hard they try to memorize new vocabulary, they still cannot commit those new words to memory. Such problem should be taken seriously and solved urgently. English teachers are supposed to take the responsibility for facilitating their students’ learning. Vocabulary memorization is no longer just left to the individual learner. Teachers should not only provide learning materials but also train learners with useful strategies to help them acquire and remember vocabulary effectively and efficiently. Among some vocabulary learning strategies, the keyword method has been found to be effective for foreign language or second language vocabulary acquisition, for recall and comprehension of word definition in various content areas, and for students at various ability levels. For example, according to Avila ＆ Sadoski (1996), the keyword method, one of the most extensively studied mnemonic devices, has proven effective in improving both immediate and delayed recall of second language or foreign language vocabulary. Hence, EFL or ESL teachers may adopt it in their real-life classroom.

Most English teachers in Taiwan seldom teach vocabulary learning strategies in class despite that some of them are actually interesting and helpful. However, teaching vocabulary learning strategies to students may be one of the useful ways to facilitate students’ vocabulary learning. With an interest to discover the effects of the keyword method on English vocabulary learning junior high school students, the researcher decided to conduct this study. It was hoped that the results of this study would contribute to the teaching and learning of English vocabulary.

1.2 Statement of the problem

In Taiwan, most English teachers agree that the mastery of vocabulary is essential for students. Therefore, they try their best to teach students a plenty of new words. Moreover, teachers always ask their students to memorize English vocabulary as many as possible on their own, but seldom mentioning vocabulary learning strategies. As a matter of fact, teachers should not merely give students fish, a large amount of English vocabulary. Instead, teaching students how to fish (teaching them different vocabulary learning strategies) is more important and efficient. Once becoming independent learners, students can really benefit from the teaching and improve the English ability by themselves.

Among many vocabulary learning strategies, the keyword method is very popular. It is one of the most extensively studies mnemonic techniques. According to some studies, it is an effective method for vocabulary learning ( Elhelou, 1994；Lawson ＆ Hogben, 1998；Levin, McCormick, Miller, Berry, ＆ Pressley, 1982；Lin, 2005). Nevertheless, there are also other studies showing the opposite result. For instance, in Campos, Gronzalez, ＆ Amor’s（2003）study, they found that the rote method was significantly more effective than the keyword method. Hence, the effectiveness of the keyword method remains in dispute. Furthermore, the long-term effect of the keyword method is still in question. According to Chen (2006), learning English vocabulary by the keyword method is superior to the traditional method concerning the long-term retention of beginning learners. However, Wang and Thomas (1995) supported the contention that mnemonic recall is not impressive－especially in comprehension to repetition controls and in the absence of an immediate test. Although several studies conducted in Taiwan (Chen, 2006；Lin, 2005) have discussed similar topics, no one used junior high school students as participants. As an English teacher in junior high, the researcher desires to know whether the keyword method is effective and useful for junior high school students or not. It is really teachers’ duty to provide students with efficient and useful language learning methods. Therefore, the researcher would like to conduct a study to examine the effects and long-term retention of the keyword method on junior high school students’ vocabulary learning.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

In the present study, there were three main purposes in the following. The first one was to explore the effectiveness of the keyword method on the junior high school students’ English vocabulary learning compared that with the rehearsal method. The findings would provide junior high school students in Taiwan with a more efficient and beneficial vocabulary learning method and help them achieve better performance and longer retention. The second one was to examine the long-term effects of the keyword method. Through the postponement of the delayed posttest, the long-term benefits could be confirmed. Finally, it was hoped that the participants’ in-depth perceptions toward the keyword method could be elicited by means of the oral interview.

1.4 Research Questions

To conduct the whole study, three research questions are set as follows：

1.  Does the keyword method group perform better than the rehearsal method group in vocabulary retention？

2.  Does the keyword method instruction have better teaching effects on junior high school students’ vocabulary learning than the rehearsal method over a longer time period？

3.  What are the students’ perceptions of the keyword method？

LITERATURE REVIEW

The Key word Method

The key word method is a tool for rapid and efficient vocabulary memorization. Due to its using both verbal and nonverbal systems in learning process, the Dual Coding Theory, developed by Sadoski and Paivio, can serve as a theoretical foundation for it. Furthermore, it is a two-stage mnemonic technique, developed by Atkinson and his collaborators. The first stage (verbal) is to identify a concrete keyword, which sounds familiar to the target word. The second (visual) stage requires one to figure out a corresponding image or to respond to an interactive picture provided. Moreover, it has been one of the most popular and certainly the most extensively researched vocabulary learning method.

2.1 The Origin

In 1975, Atkinson conducted a study using mnemonics for foreign vocabulary learning and called it the keyword method. That is, Atkinson was the first one to name the “keyword” method. Over a period of two years, Atkinson and his collaborators conducted a series of experiments to test the effectiveness of the keyword method. The keyword method is a two-stage mnemonic technique: acoustic link stage and imagery link stage. In Atkinson’s model (Atkinson ＆ Raugh, 1975), the keywords could facilitate the memorization in two aspects. One was the acoustic similarities to the target information. The other was the imagery connection the learner builds with the keywords and the new information. On the other hand, according to Lin (2005), the keyword method, as a technique of associative mnemonics, used keywords to build a strong link between the “target” information and the “already known” information so that the to-be-learned information could be better retained in memory.

2.2Theorectical Rationale

The Dual Coding Theory, developed by Sadoski and Paivio (1994), serve as a theoretical foundation for mnemonic systems, including the keyword method. According to Dual Coding Theory (Sadoski ＆ Paivio, 1994), previous experiences, or prior knowledge, were bases from which mental representations derive. The experiences could be linguistic and nonlinguistic, which developed into two mental systems, one for representing and processing language and the other for processing nonlinguistic information. The latter was frequently referred as processing imagery (cited in Zhang ＆ Schumm, 2000). Although functionally distinct, the two systems were assumed to be interconnected so that activity in one system could trigger activity in the other. The activation of both systems could have additive effects on recall (cited in Zhang ＆ Schumm, 2000).

2.3 Studies on Long-term Effects

The long-term benefits of the keyword method have been mixed. Some studies showed that the keyword method really facilitated long-term memory (Avila ＆Sadoski, 1996；Chen, 2006；Lawson ＆ Hogben, 1998； Sagarra ＆ Alba, 2006；Zhang ＆ Schumm, 2000). However, other studies have found that the keyword method was effective only for immediate recall. Wang, Thomas, and Ouellette (1992) found that the rate of word loss was greater for learners using the keyword method than for the learners who used rote memorization. Besides, Wang and Thomas (1995) indicated that the use of the keyword method increased learning speed and immediate recall, but that did not show any advantage in delayed recall.

2.4 Studies on Age

The keyword method could be applied to enhance vocabulary learning for language learners of different ages (Elhelou, 1994；Gruneberg ＆ Pascoe, 1996；Lawson ＆ Hogben, 1998； Sagarra ＆ Alba, 2006；Zhang ＆ Schumm, 2000). However, Levin et al. (1979) suggested that young learners seemed to have difficulties generating interactive images by themselves. It was necessary to provide them with actual line drawings during the image link stage. Namely, younger children relied more on given pictures for maximum effect.

2.5 Studies on Ability

Most previous studies about the keyword method showed that such mnemonic technique helps the students with limited English proficiency (Avila ＆ Sadoski, 1996；Zhang ＆ Schumm, 2000). As a matter of fact, high-proficient learners also benefited from it (Lin, 2005). What makes the different was that high-achievers may utilize more strategies or just integrate all of them.

2.6 Different Applications of the Keyword Method

The keyword method has been applied in many contexts to aid memory such as in vocabulary learning, face-name association, and retention of core facts. However, it has been especially advocated as an effective strategy for learning vocabulary.

METHODOLOGY

Design

A 2 (treatment) × 2 (retention interval) between-participants experimental design was used in the present study. Two intact ninth-grade EFL classes from a junior high school in Kaohsiung County were recruited as participants. They were randomly assigned to either the experimental group（the keyword condition）or the control group（the rehearsal condition）. Prior to the intervention, participants were given a vocabulary pretest. Then, after the orientation stage, it came to the instruction stage. After four-session instruction, a vocabulary recall posttest was given to all of the participants immediately. One week later, participants were all asked to taken the delayed vocabulary recall posttest, the same content and order as the immediate posttest. After the experiment, ten participants were randomly selected from the keyword condition to take part in the oral interview.

3.2 Participants

Two intact classes of ninth-graders from a junior high school in Kaohsiung County were recruited as the participants in this study. Totally, there were 84 students, 42 in class A and 42 in class B. Participants in each class shared similar backgrounds. For instance, roughly speaking, they all had learned English at least three years. In addition, they had the same English teacher. Moreover, they had a similar level of English proficiency, which was evaluated according to their English scores of the two mock exams in the third year. From the result of t-test, there was no difference between these two classes, Hence, students in class A and those in class B actually had the same English proficiency. According to two different vocabulary teaching methods they received, two classes were randomly assigned to two groups. The experimental group received the keyword method instruction. In order to make sure that participants in different conditions had the same prior knowledge with the learning materials, the researcher, also being the instructor, gave these two groups a vocabulary pretest.

3.3  Materials