Do you know how to use mnemonics in your language classroom?

Explore the benefits of the Dual Coding Theory and the Keyword Method and learn how to use them in your classroom.

What are mnemonics?

Mnemonics are memory aids that have been used for centuries to remember large chunks of information using verbal and visual cues (Higbee, 2001). The main way that mnemonics aid in memorisation is by providing a structure to an otherwise unorganised piece of knowledge – the more unstructured the original material is, the better mnemonics will perform (Higbee, 2001).

The Dual Coding Theory:

A large amount of the research done behind mnemonics comes from the Dual Coding Theory (Clark and Paivio, 1991), which explains the benefits of using visual aids as well as verbal aids when creating mnemonics. The Dual Coding Theory (DCT) relies on the links we create in our memory to explain how, for example, a second language can be remembered using a mnemonic. Let’s look at how this can be done.

The word ‘book’ and the French word ‘livre’ both mean the same thing. However, they are stored as two, separate, items in our memory. If we want to create a link between these two, a verbal cue forces us to think sequentially – ‘livre is the French for book’. In comparison, we can trigger both of these words at the same time with a visual cue, such as a picture of a book. When these two methods are combined (saying the word ‘livre’ and showing a picture of a book), we can create deeper memories, thus making it easier for students to remember. In fact, a study done in 2019 (Wong and Samudra) found that students were 17% more likely to select the correct vocabulary when they were taught the words using the DCT than students who were shown visual and verbal cues at different times.

“One picture is worth a thousand words”

The Keyword Method:

Another method that can be used to create stronger memories is the keyword method, which involves 2 stages. This method associates foreign words with similar sounding words in the learner’s native language which can be used to create vivid images.

The first step involves finding a word in L1 that sounds like part of the L2 word (Pressley, Levin and Delaney, 1982). Then, a phrase or image can be created to remember the meaning of the L2 word. For example, to remember the word for mushroom in French (champignon) we can take the word champion from English (L1). Then we can either create an image or a phrase that joins these two together. Below, we’ve created an image that links the two, but a phrase could be something such as ‘the mushroom is the champion of the tournament’.

Whilst this method may create more vivid and personalised mnemonics for the learner, it should be noted that it does not work any better than rote learning after a week without any revision (Wang, Thomas and Ouellette, 1992). For this reason, we recommend that this method should only be used to create a foundation of knowledge before cementing the memory through other methods.

Theory into practice:

The DCT and Keyword methods can both be integrated into a classroom lesson with ease due to their simple nature. Firstly, the DCT can be employed by placing more images within presentations, and creating a more visual experience within the classroom. This can also be done by creating visual vocabulary lists, which aid students to associate the vocabulary with a visual meaning as well as the verbal translation. This being said, the DCT works best when used with concrete words and phrases instead of more abstract ideas. Research has found that students find it easier to understand new words or phrases when associated with concrete ideas (Clark and Paivio, 1991). These are in the form of nouns (book, paper, pen, person) instead of more complex ideas which are harder to picture (anger, boredom, extreme, difficult).

The keyword method can be used by students when they are having difficulty remembering a certain word. Teaching the students how to use this method independently allows them to have a greater involvement in their language acquisition as they are able to make personalised mnemonics. Whilst this method does show significant improvements for immediate testing (Wang, Thomas and Ouellette, 1992), revision after this point must take place to solidify the knowledge. On top of this, students should be encouraged to create vivid images which help to both instil a deeper memory and prevent oversimplification which may lead to confusion.

As always, these methods can only be a small part of a much larger system to teaching languages, and miss out on a significant amount of input that is needed to teach effectively such as listening and gaining an understanding of how the words interact with grammatical structure.

Do you use mnemonics in your classroom? Have you found other ways to employ them? Let us know!

Reference list:

Clark, J.M. and Paivio, A. (1991). Dual Coding Theory and Education. Educational Psychology Review, [online] 3(3), pp.149–210. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/23359208 [Accessed 25 Mar. 2024].

Higbee, K.L. (2001). Mnemonics, Psychology of. International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, pp.9915–9918. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/b0-08-043076-7/01517-5.

Pressley, M., Levin, J.R. and Delaney, H.D. (1982). The Mnemonic Keyword Method. Review of Educational Research, 52(1), p.61. doi:https://doi.org/10.2307/1170273.

Raugh, M.R., Schupbach, R.D. and Atkinson, R.C. (1977). Teaching a Large Russian Language Vocabulary by the Mnemonic Keyword Method. Instructional Science, [online] 6(3), pp.199–221. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/23368152 [Accessed 25 Mar. 2024].

Wang, A.Y., Thomas, M.H. and Ouellette, J.A. (1992). Keyword mnemonic and retention of second-language vocabulary words. Journal of Educational Psychology, 84(4), pp.520–528. doi:https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.84.4.520.

Wong, K.M. and Samudra, P.G. (2019). L2 Vocabulary Learning from Educational media: Extending dual-coding Theory to dual-language Learners. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 34(8), pp.1–23. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2019.1666150.