The Keyword Method as an Effective way to learn vocabulary PDF

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28th Statewide Conference for Teachers of Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students WELCOME TO THE KEYWORD METHOD AS AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO LEARN VOCABULARY Juan Garcia & Miguel Fernandez January 26th, 2005 1 28th Statewide Conference for Teachers of Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Stude...

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28th Statewide Conference for Teachers of Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students

WELCOME TO

THE KEYWORD METHOD AS AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO LEARN VOCABULARY

Juan Garcia & Miguel Fernandez January 26th, 2005 1

28th Statewide Conference for Teachers of Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students

REVIEW OF DIFFERENT LANGUAGE LEARNING APPROACHES: ! Methods based on Grammar and translation: " Deductive Approach. Learning the rules or grammar of a language will help learners to learn the language derived from logic. " Inductive Approach. Learn a limited vocabulary grouped in topics in order to learn the language. " Reading Method. The second language is learned by reading. It is based on the translation of grammatical rules from L1 to L2. ! Methods based on the use of the Second Language. " Direct Method: It is based on exposure to oral language without translation. It imitates the acquisition of the first language, so the steps to learn a foreign language are the same steps as to learn the first language: listening-speaking-reading-writing. The use of the learner’s first language is not recommended during instruction. " Audiolingualism. Activities such as drills are used to reinforce good language habits. Teaching is based on pictures, gestures, oral exposure and second language. " Situational Approach. Grammatical and lexical items are limited to the needs of a particular situation such as: at the store, at the airport, at the restaurant, etc. " Communicative Method. This method stresses the importance of using language to achieve meaningful communication, and paying less attention to accuracy. Learners work together to find a gap of information by negotiating the information they have. They also defend that the use of the second language will lead to learning vocabulary.

Juan Garcia & Miguel Fernandez January 26th, 2005 2

28th Statewide Conference for Teachers of Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students

DISCUSSION Puerta means door.

Are you in favor or against using the first language when teaching a second language?

Pablo, could you please close the door?

Juan Garcia & Miguel Fernandez January 26th, 2005 3

28th Statewide Conference for Teachers of Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students

THINK ABOUT A STRATEGY TO REMEMBER THESE NUMBERS: 8625253293 HOW ABOUT GROUPING THEM? (862) 525 32 93

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28th Statewide Conference for Teachers of Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students

Verbal mnemonics

List-learning Transformational strategies

strategies

Story method

First-letter mnemonics

Coding method

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28th Statewide Conference for Teachers of Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students Story method: Items are chained together by linking them in a story. It is very useful for learning lists. First-letter mnemonics: It is probably the most used mnemonic. There are 2 types: 1) Acronyms: The initial letters form a meaningful word.

The notes in the spaces of the treble staff form the word FACE.

2) Acrostics: The initial letters are used as the initial letters of other words to make a meaningful phrase.

Every Good Boy Deserves Fruit for the notes on the lines of the treble staff. Coding method: It is used for encoding numbers. Because words are much easier to remember, a system that transforms numbers into letters is one of the best ways for remembering numbers. 1 = t (there is 1 downstroke in t) 2 = n (there are 2 downstrokes in n) 3 = m (there are 3 downstrokes in m) 4 = r (r is the last letter of four) 5 = l (l is 50 in Roman numbers) 6 = sh (six has a sort of sh sound) 7 = k (number 7 is embedded in k) 8 = f (both 8 and f have two loops) 9 = p (9 is an upside-down p) 0 = s (zero starts with a s sound) Once encoded into letters, the numbers can then be incorporated into words or rhymes. For example, Word War Two ended in 1945 (TPRL), which could be turned into top role. The modern innovation of encoding phone numbers into letters (1 800-MEMORY) is a useful descendent of this strategy. Juan Garcia & Miguel Fernandez January 26th, 2005 6

28th Statewide Conference for Teachers of Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students

Imagery mnemonics

List-learning Transformational strategies

strategies

Place method

Pegword method

Link method

Face-name association

Keyword method

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28th Statewide Conference for Teachers of Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students !

Place method: In the place method, a very well known place is chosen (a familiar route, your house, or a particular room in it). You can easily call to mind various “landmarks.” You must train yourself to go around your landmarks in a particular order (with a route wich is easy). To remember a list (say a shopping list), you imagine each item in turn at these landmarks. # a loaf of bread sticking out of the mailbox. # A giant apple in place of the door. # The hall full of beans. # A giant banana in the bath.

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Pegword method: It is based on the same sort of idea as the place method, but instead of using locations as cues, it uses numbers. These numbers are transformed into visual images by means of the following simple rhyme: “One is a bun, two is a shoe, three is a tree, four is a door, five is a hive, six is sticks, seven is heaven, eight is a plate, nine is a line, and ten is a hen.” The rhyme must be learned by rote until it is over-learned.

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Link method: It uses visual images to link items together. Instead of a well-learned structure to anchor the new information, items are linked to each other. For example, to remember our shopping list of bread, apples, beans, and bananas, you would form an image of the bread interacting with apples in some way, then another image of apples and beans, then another image bringing beans and bananas together.

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Face-name associations: Creating a face-name association: 1. Select a distinctive feature of the face (nose). 2. Select a word or phrase that sounds like the name (con rat for Conrad). 3. Create an interactive image linking the distinctive feature with the keyword(s) (a man in a prisoner’s uniform — con — rides a rat that slides down the nose). To remember the name on seeing the face again, you must: 1. Identify the distinctive feature that you used when encoding (nose). 2. Use that feature to help you retrieve the interactive image (a con riding a rat sliding down a nose). 3. Derive the keyword(s) from the image (con rat). 4. Use the keyword to help you retrieve the name (Conrad).

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Keyword method: It is an effective strategy for learning foreign vocabulary. The steps in the keyword method are: 2) Link the foreign word with an English word that sounds like some part of the foreign word. 3) Link the keyword with the English meaning of the foreign word by forming an interactive image.

Juan Garcia & Miguel Fernandez January 26th, 2005 8

28th Statewide Conference for Teachers of Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students

THE KEYWORD METHOD: DESCRIPTION Atkinson’s (1975) keyword method is a mnemonic technique in which a new word is associated with a similarsounding familiar word, or keyword. A mental image is then formed linking the unfamiliar word to the keyword.

The keyword method is a way to memorize a new word and its definition by making a mental image of each one and then blending the two images into one picture.

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28th Statewide Conference for Teachers of Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students

When to Use the Keyword Method Anachronism… Bellicose… Cataclysm… Laudable…

When you need to learn new vocabulary words that you would find hard to remember naturally, think of the keyword method. It is good for learning foreign vocabulary and for scientific and technical words.

Juan Garcia & Miguel Fernandez January 26th, 2005 10

28th Statewide Conference for Teachers of Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students

Juan Garcia & Miguel Fernandez January 26th, 2005 11

28th Statewide Conference for Teachers of Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students

BIRD AVE.

Juan Garcia & Miguel Fernandez January 26th, 2005 12

28th Statewide Conference for Teachers of Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students

Juan Garcia & Miguel Fernandez January 26th, 2005 13

28th Statewide Conference for Teachers of Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students

Juan Garcia & Miguel Fernandez January 26th, 2005 14

28th Statewide Conference for Teachers of Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students

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28th Statewide Conference for Teachers of Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students

SOME IDEAS TO REPRESENT TECHNICAL VOCABULARY WITH THE KEYWORD METHOD: " Celerity: Speed " Bellicose: Warlike " Pedagogue: A teacher " Penumbra: Partial shade " Cataclysm: A devastating flood

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28th Statewide Conference for Teachers of Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students

CELERITY

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28th Statewide Conference for Teachers of Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students

BELLICOSE

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28th Statewide Conference for Teachers of Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students

Pedagogue Juan Garcia & Miguel Fernandez January 26th, 2005 19

28th Statewide Conference for Teachers of Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students

Penumbra

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28th Statewide Conference for Teachers of Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students

Cataclysm Juan Garcia & Miguel Fernandez January 26th, 2005 21

28th Statewide Conference for Teachers of Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students

A few activities 1. Coding Method. Transform the following into their letter codes and make up a memorable word or phrase: 04-489-6535

Letter codes: _______________________________ Word or phrase: _____________________________ Oct. 21, 1963 Letter codes: _______________________________ Word or phrase: _____________________________ 4 p.m., Feb. 6 Letter codes: _______________________________ Word or phrase: _____________________________ 0062534-25 Letter codes: _______________________________ Word or phrase: _____________________________ 2. Keyword Method. After reading the English word and its equivalent in Spanish, try to find a keyword and an image that will help you remember the names of these animals in Spanish. English: Spider. .Spanish: Araña. Keyword(s): _____________________________________ Image I will use to remember the word: ________________ ________________________________________________ English: Monkey. Spanish: Mono. Keyword(s): _____________________________________ Image I will use to remember the word: ________________ ________________________________________________ English: Bear. Spanish: Oso. Keyword(s): _____________________________________ Image I will use to remember the word: ________________ ________________________________________________ English: Horse. Spanish: Caballo. Keyword(s): _____________________________________ Image I will use to remember the word: ________________ ________________________________________________ English: Snake. Spanish: Serpiente. Keyword(s): __________________________________ Image I will use to remember the word: ______________ ____________________________________________

Juan Garcia & Miguel Fernandez January 26th, 2005 22

28th Statewide Conference for Teachers of Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students

A few activities 3. Coding Method. Transform the following into their letter codes and make up a memorable word or phrase: 04-489-6535

Letter codes: sr-rfp-shlml Word or phrase: _____________________________ Oct. 21, 1963 Letter codes: Oct nt tpshm Word or phrase: _____________________________ 4 p.m., Feb. 6 Letter codes: r pm Feb sh Word or phrase: _____________________________ 0062534-25 Letter codes: ssshnlmr-nl Word or phrase: _____________________________ 4. Keyword Method. After reading the English word and its equivalent in Spanish, try to find a keyword and an image that will help you remember the names of these animals in Spanish. English: Spider. .Spanish: Araña. Keyword(s): run Image I will use to remember the word: I ran yelling ahhhh (from the spider) English: Monkey. Spanish: Mono. Keyword(s): moan Image I will use to remember the word: Monkey moaning for bananas English: Bear. Spanish: Oso. Keyword(s): awesome Image I will use to remember the word: An awesome bear. English: Cow. Spanish: Vaca. Keyword(s): vacuum Image I will use to remember the word: A cow vacuuming. English: Snake. Spanish: Serpiente. Keyword(s): syrup Image I will use to remember the word: A snake eating syrup.

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28th Statewide Conference for Teachers of Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students

CONCLUSION " Drawings are remembered more effectively than

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" " " " "

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words and ideas. Words and phrases are remembered more effectively if they are accompanied by a drawing. You can remember any new piece of information if you can associate it to something that you already know. So when you want to remember new information, try to recall something you already know that is similar to it. Make your drawings meaningful. Drawings empty of meaning are not as effective to remember new vocabulary. How well you remember words depends on how well you learned them. Even using a keyword mnemonic, you still need to rehearse the information to be learned. The keyword mnemonic requires practice, to use effectively. The critical factor is that the keyword interacts with the definition or own-language word. It is not as exhaustive as it might seem. Just with some examples you can train your students to use the strategy. The keyword method cannot be used with all the words the student has to learn, but only with the ones that s/he finds difficult to remember. Juan Garcia & Miguel Fernandez January 26th, 2005 24

28th Statewide Conference for Teachers of Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES Atkinson, R. C. (1975). Mnemotechnics in second-language learning. American Psychologist, 30, 821-828. Baker, L. (2004). Keyword Method as a Memory Aid. VOA Wordmaster. Reviewed in January 10, 2005 in the World Wide Web: http://www.ababasoft.com/mnemonic/tech01.htm Campos, A., Gonzalez, M.A. and Amor, A. (2003). “Limitations of the Mnemonic Keyword Method”. Journal of General Psychology. American Psychological Association. Reviewed in January 19, 2005 in the World Wide Web: http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2405/is_4_130/ai_11 1506975 Hodges, D. (2004). 6-Memory Tricks.doc. Lane Community ServiceAssessment and testing services. Reviewed in January 18, 2005 in the World Wide Web: http://www.lanecc.edu/testing/06memorytricks.htm ICRA (2004). “Keyword Mnemonic for Language Learning”, in About Memory: Learning About Memory for Permanent Memory Improvement. ICRA. Reviewed in January 8, 2005 in the World Wide Web: http://www.memory-key.com/Mnemonics/keyword_language.htm McPherson, F. (2000). The Memory Key: Unlock the Secrets to Remembering. Ten Career Press. Mikhailov, S. (1998). The Keyword Method of the Mnemonic Technique. Ababasoft. Reviewed in January 15, 2005 in the World Wide Web: http://www.ababasoft.com/mnemonic/tech01.htm Old, S.R. (2001). The Keyword Method Applied to Root-Learning of Vocabulary. Department of Psychology. Missouri Western State College. Reviewed in January 16, 2005 in the World Wide Web: http://clearinghouse.mwsc.edu/manuscripts/282.asp Sonneman, M. R. (1997). Beyond Words. A Guide to Drawing Out Ideas. Ten Speed Press. Tarlow, E. (2004). 1, 2 y 3 ¡A la Caja!. Scholastic. Juan Garcia & Miguel Fernandez January 26th, 2005 25

28th Statewide Conference for Teachers of Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students

Contact us: Juan I. García Lincoln School Cicero Public Schools [email protected] Miguel Fernández Roosevelt School Cicero Public Schools [email protected]

Thank you for coming!!!

Juan Garcia & Miguel Fernandez January 26th, 2005 26...