Vocabulary Mnemonics strategies1

2003年第3期 北方论丛 No.3,2003 [文章编号]1000-3541（2003）03YY-0034-03

Vocabulary Mnemonic Strategies

XIA LIYA, CHEN NING

(1.Jiangsu University, 2.Zhenjiang college;Zhenjiang212001,china)

Abstract: as the research on learning strategies developed, ESL researches want to know how english vocabulary is acquired, and why some students can acquire vocabulary more easily. The earlier studies mainly focused on vocabulary memorizing strategies, regarding vocabulary as independent discrete pieces of knowledge. Later studies ,however, treat vocabulary as an integral part of the continuous discourse and put more emphasis on the techniques. In this research, the students' use of the vocabulary memory strategies is to be explored and studied.

Key words: Mnemonic; vocabulary; strategies

1. The Classification of Learning Strategies

Language learning, according to Chamot (1987 ), are techniques, approaches, or deliberate actions that students take in order to facilitate the learning and recall of both linguistic and content area information. Investigation of students’ learning strategies is a relatively new endeavor in the field of second language learning or foreign language learning. Studies of second language learners have classified learning strategies in various ways, making it difficult in many cases to compare strategies reported in one study with those reported in another.

Brown and Palinscar (1982 ) classified general learning strategies as metacognitive or cognitive, and this distinction is also useful in classifying the strategies used by second language learners. McDonald et al. (1979 ) found that students trained to use a cooperative learning strategy for reading comprehension outperformed those who worked individually, and a subsequent study found that cooperative learning was most effective when students with differing cognitive styles were paired (Larson and Dansereau, (1983 ). In the field of second language strategies, this third type of strategy is generally referred to as affective (see, for example, Naiman et al. 1111978, and Rubin and Thompddson, 1982).

Learning strategies in the second language literature can be classified within these three general categories, that is, as metacognitive, cognitive, or social affective in nature (Chamot, 1987). And O’Malley et al., (1985) also fall into these categories.

In Brown and Palinscar’s view, metacognitive strategies involve thinking about the learning process, planning for learning, monitoring of learning while it is taking place, and self-evaluation of learning after the learning activity. (O’Malley et al., 1985b, also gave the same view.) Metacognitive strategies can be applied to virtually all types of learning tasks, whereas cognitive strategies are more directly related to a specific task and learning objective and may not be applicable to different types of learning tasks. Cognitive strategies involve manipulation or

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