Memory vocabulary learning strategies and long-term retention

Abstract

The present study was an attempt to compare the impact of teaching through memory strategies, where students were taught the meaning of new vocabulary items by giving them synonyms, antonyms, definitions and mini-contexts. The results were reflected in the students' short-term and long-term memory retention. The participants of the study comprised 310 Indian pre-university females. The results indicated that the students in the experimental group outperformed those in the control group both in short-term and longterm scores. As many learners do not develop sufficient mastery of the vocabulary, explicit instruction of memory strategies can help them to store and retrieve new vocabulary items. Also, by using the result of a self-report and post-test 1, it was shown that over-dependency on survey tools as a means of data collection is open to question, in spite of the wide application of such tools, since there was a significant difference between what the participants said and how they performed. Keywords: memory strategies, vocabulary learning strategies, short-term retention, long-term retention, imagery,