School of Education, Culture and Communication Mnemonic Techniques in L2 Vocabulary Acquisition Advanced Study in English Nina Behr Supervisor: Thorsten Schröter Autumn 2012 Abstract Students in high school have a need to be able to remember a lot of information during their years of schooling. The purpose of this study was to investigate if mnemonic techniques could help the participating students to become more efficient in recalling new English vocabulary. If the results were to indicate an increase in efficiency with either of the two techniques selected, it would make a case for using this technique in foreign- and second language learning contexts. The students who participated were taught the reminiscent technique and the loci method because these techniques focus on connecting vocabulary to existing memories, thus enabling encodement to long-term memory. Research within second language studies recommends using mnemonic techniques as a help to retrieve words. The students’ recall of vocabulary was tested after an introduction to each technique. They were given three initial tests containing 15 new English words each, a total of 45 words. The first such set tested the efficiency of the students’ own techniques, while the second and third set tested the reminiscent technique and loci method, respectively. After a period of three weeks there was a final test on all the 45 new words at once, testing the possible encodement to long-term memory. The most interesting results were found regarding the percentages of lowest difference in “decrease of retrieval rate” of each vocabulary item between the first initial tests and the final test. The smaller the decrease could indicate a stronger encodement to long-term memory. The top two recalled words were linked to the reminiscent technique and the one in third place to the loci method. Thus, there was some indication that these helped to achieve a stronger encodement to long-term memory. However, when comparing the total number of recalled words, the students’ own technique came out as the winner. Key words: mnemonic techniques, long-term memory, loci method, reminiscent technique, vocabulary acquisition, second language acquisition, English vocabulary, foreign language, didactics. Table of Contents Abstract 1 Introduction .........................................................................................................................1 1.1 Purpose and research question.......................................................................................2 2 Memory studies ...................................................................................................................2 2.1 The memory process .....................................................................................................2 2.1.1 From short-term memory to working memory ........................................................3 2.1.2 Long-term memory, explicit and implicit. ..............................................................3 2.2 Memory and learning ....................................................................................................4 2.2.1 Information processing and speed ..........................................................................5 2.2.2 Aspects of memory improvements .........................................................................6 2.3 Memory and vocabulary ...............................................................................................7 2.3.1 Consideration of word form ...................................................................................7 2.4 Context verses repetition ...............................................................................................8 2.5 Mnemonic techniques ...................................................................................................9 2.5.1 Rehearsal ...............................................................................................................9 2.5.2 The reminiscent technique ......................................................................................9 2.5.3 The loci method ................................................................................................... 10 3 Method .............................................................................................................................. 11 3.1 Participants ................................................................................................................. 12 3.2 Procedure of the tests .................................................................................................. 12 3.2.1 Selection of vocabulary ........................................................................................ 13 3.2.2 Choice of techniques ............................................................................................ 14 3.2.3 Correction of the tests .......................................................................................... 15 3.3 General observations ................................................................................................... 15 3.4 Ethical aspects ............................................................................................................ 16 4 Results ............................................................................................................................... 16 4.1 Results of the initial tests ............................................................................................ 16 4.2 Results of the final test ................................................................................................ 19 4.3 The best retrieved vocabulary over time ...................................................................... 23 4.4 Analysis of results ....................................................................................................... 26 5 Discussion ......................................................................................................................... 27 References ............................................................................................................................ 32 Appendix 1 Introduction In order to function well in our modern society, it is important to have a good memory. There is an intense exposure to information and also a need to remember a lot of data. The majority of all sensory impressions are sorted out by the brain before they reach our consciousness. This function is called memory inhibition and is regulated by sensory memory (Derwinger, 2005). According to Klingberg (in Carling, 2011), only 20% of the information which is encoded into short-term memory will pass on to be stored as long-term memory without repetition. Among the roles of long-term memory is the storage of linguistic knowledge and its retrieval in appropriate contexts. High school students are dependent on their memory skills due to all the new information in several subjects that needs to be processed and remembered. Foreign- and second language, L2, acquisition and learning involves a large input of new vocabulary into long-term memory, thus the knowledge of words is important for good communication skills. As is well known, there are different techniques that are said to improve our memory functions. Therefore, the question is: could mnemonic techniques help students to remember new vocabulary more effectively? Derwinger (2005) and Klingberg (2007), among others, say that new information is stored as a long-term memory when it can find a context among other permanently stored information. For example, the reminiscent technique and the loci method have been developed to help learning through structure and context. Mnemonic techniques are recommended within the field of L2 acquisition as a tool to remember vocabulary (Nattinger, 1988). This study aims to investigate if students in high school can improve their vocabulary knowledge in English studies with the help of mnemonic techniques. In the cause of this study, the students are taught two different techniques to learn new English vocabulary. Through different tests, the results will be measured, and then compared and discussed in relation to previous research. 1 1.1 Purpose and research question The question to be investigated is whether two different mnemonic techniques can help students to remember new English vocabulary more effectively in a long-term perspective than they would otherwise be able to. If the results of this study indicate an increase of remembered L2 vocabulary due to the use of mnemonic techniques, they will help to make a case for teaching such techniques in English as well as other L2 learning contexts. 2 Memory studies There is no specific region in the brain that works with memory functions. Different parts of the brain work together in order to store and retrieve a particular memory (Derwinger, 2005). However, there are different theories that address the various steps of memorization, i.e. the process from sensory impression to storage in long-term memory. In this study I will simplify the complex features related to the brain and the memorization process and focus on the concepts of short-term memory, working memory and long-term memory. These have an interactive relationship and, together with processing speed, form an important part of one’s learning ability. 2.1 The memory process Before the memory process begins there is the implicit function of memory inhibition by sensory memory. This function filters all the impressions in our