The effects of memory strategies on young learners’ vocabulary acquisition

Abstract

There are fundamental elements in learning a language and developing proficiency. One of those fundamental elements is vocabulary. It is undeniable that vocabulary acquisition plays a paramount role in the interpretation and communication of meaning in general. This study was conducted to investigate the implications of memory strategies in first grade learners’ vocabulary acquisition. A quantitative approach was carried out with the participation of 28 boys from first grade at the Aspaen Gimnasio Cartagena. Three units were designed to teach 48 new words through the planned and explicit use of memory strategies to a group of 13 students (experimental). The same amount of new words was taught to 15 students under conventional vocabulary instructions, involving various and sometimes not consciously planned strategies (control). The instruments used to collect the data for this study were a pre-test and post-test at the beginning and at the end of the intervention, and achievement tests after the application of each memory strategy. The results showed that memory strategy instructions benefit students’ vocabulary breadth.