As mentioned, the keyword mnemonic method is an intricate strategy to help a learner comprehend new words by connecting them with previously gained knowledge. This method has been the subject of many research studies to test its effectiveness in learning a new or foreign language or in improving the learners' vocabulary of their native language.
In order for this method to work, there are two steps that a learner must undergo. First, a keyword that sounds similar to the new word must be introduced. Second, a mental image must be established to connect the keyword with the new word or information.
Take, for example, the word pasto, which means grass in Spanish. A keyword that sounds similar to the learner must be introduced. In this case, the word ''pasta'' can be used as a keyword since it sounds similar. After the keyword is introduced, the learner is asked to combine the meaning of the new word and the keyword through mental imaging. For the word pasto, the learner can form a mental image of pasta noodles growing like grass. When the learner is asked for the Spanish equivalent of the word grass, the memory is activated to recall the image of pasta growing like grass; then the learner remembers the word pasto. The image created in this example may seem bizarre, but odd and detailed images are found to be more effective than just thinking about normal images.
Benefits of the Keyword Method
The keyword method in recognizing and remembering new words has been the subject of many research studies. These studies have shown the effectiveness of the keyword method and have elaborated upon the benefits of using this method to learn unfamiliar words and integrate those words into a learner's vocabulary.
First, this strategy allows a more concrete and meaningful way of obtaining information. The learner's thinking process has a clear route from the introduction of the keyword to making meaning or sense of the word. It may have positive effects in the classroom when this method is used by teachers, as learners who have behavioral disorders feel a boost of confidence when they are able to comprehend an idea since their vocabulary has greatly improved or developed.
Second, the keyword method may also have a positive effect on learners with special needs. A study conducted by Uberti, Scruggs, and Mastropieri in 2003 showed how learners with special needs have performed better than students without special needs. The learners with special needs were able to remember more of the vocabulary words given to them.
Lastly, the keyword method has proven to be effective in developing learners' abilities to recall and understand words in a short span of time. In a study conducted by Avila and Sadoski in 1996, when the keyword method was utilized in the classroom to learn a foreign language, students were able to recall more vocabulary words even if this method was only used for a very short period of time.
In using the keyword method for acquiring and recalling the meaning of words, images are very important as the brain has a better way of remembering things when learned visually than just learning things in an auditory fashion. Through the use of images, the brain is able to stimulate the short- and long-term memory of the learner.
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The keyword mnemonic method is a very useful strategy a learner can use in developing their vocabulary by learning new words and associating these unfamiliar words with prior knowledge. There are many different ways or examples in which this can be used.
- When learning a foreign language, a keyword mnemonic is very useful. For example, take the word araw which means ''sun'' in Filipino. In this scenario, the learner can use the word ''arrow'' as a keyword in remembering the definition of the word araw as both words sound similar. The learner can create a mental image of an arrow piercing through the sun. The possibility of this happening is highly unlikely, but the odder the formed images are, the more effective the device will be for a learner to remember the word. In the future, when the learner is required to use the word or remember the meaning of the word araw, the person's memory will be stimulated and will remember the mental image of the arrow piercing through the sun.
- Another example of how this method is used in learning a new vocabulary is when a learner encounters the word ''arrogate,'' which means to seize or take control without authority. The learner can use the word ''arrow'' as this sounds similar to arrogate. The learner forms a mental image of an archer letting go of an arrow to take away, without authority, a money bag from another person. Next time, when the learner is asked to define the word ''arrogate,'' the learner remembers how the arrow swished through the air and illegally took away the wallet or pouch of another person.
- One other example of how keyword mnemonics are used to develop one's vocabulary is when a learner is asked to define the word ''jaundice,'' which means a medical condition wherein one's mucous membranes turn yellow. When the learner encounters this word, they associate this with the word ''juice'' and form a mental image of orange or mango juice. They then imagine a man drinking a glass of orange or mango juice and instantly turning yellow. When the learner is asked to define the word ''jaundice,'' their memory is stimulated by remembering the image of the man turning yellow after drinking orange or mango juice.
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A mnemonic is a strategy that is used to aid learners in recalling something through the use of words and images. One type of commonly used mnemonics is the keyword mnemonics method. The keyword mnemonics method helps the learner understand a new word by associating it with an already familiar word. This process consists of two important stages. The first stage includes the introduction of the keyword which sounds similar to the new word and is familiar to the learner. One example uses the words ''arrogate'' and ''arrow.'' The word arrow can be used as a keyword for the word arrogate. The second stage includes the formation of mental imagery of the keyword and a new or unfamiliar word. For this to work better, it is encouraged that learners use their creativity to imagine odder and more detailed mental images as the human brain works better when stimulated visually rather than just using auditory techniques.
A lot of research studies have been conducted to prove the effectiveness of keyword mnemonics in understanding a new word. Learners, especially those learning a new language or those who wish to develop their vocabulary, can benefit greatly from this technique.
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Video Transcript
What Is the Keyword Method?
School comes with its fair share of vocabulary tests. It can be quite tricky and perplexing to memorize 20 new words along with their spellings and definitions. Some people just have a naturally strong memory. Most rely on mnemonics, which are mechanisms, such as images and rhymes, used to help memorize something.
The keyword method , a valuable technique used to memorize the meaning behind vocabulary words, is when a person uses what a word sounds like to visualize something memorable that will help them later recall the definition.
Keyword Method: Example
Let's look at the word, ''aplomb.'' This is a common middle-school vocabulary word. It means, ''coolness and composure under strain.'' Here's a sentence we can use to flesh this out:
When fantasy character Harry Potter faced the villain, he remained aplomb despite the fact that he knew he was about to die.
A student saying this vocabulary word could say that ''aplomb'' sounds a bit like '~a plum'' and they could visualize a cold plum straight from the refrigerator that remained cool and composed even though it was underneath a lot of other fruits and vegetables (''under strain'').
When it comes time for their vocabulary test, the word ''aplomb'' will carry with it this visualization, which will trigger the definition.
Why Does the Keyword Method Work?
Research has shown that our brains are much better at placing things into our short- and long-term memory through visual input, such as images and videos, versus auditory input such as lectures or instructional CDs. This is why the keyword method is so impactful; it relies on visual input.
Further, the stranger the image, the more likely our brain will remember that image. In the example of the cold plum, if the student visualized the plum with fuzzy orange hair, eyes, a mouth, and arms and legs, the image would probably be even more impressionable than just the image of a cold plum.
Studies have shown that the more our traditional senses (touch, smell, and taste) are involved in a learning experience, the more likely the information will be placed into the long-term memory.
For instance, if a student studying the word, ''aplomb'' not only visualized a cold plum remaining cool and composed under a bunch of other produce, but actually touched and tasted a plum while studying this word, they would have an even higher chance of remembering the definition at test time.
This is why schoolteachers use a variety of stimuli such as PowerPoint presentations, props, music, experiments, and videos to engage their students and increase the chance their students will retain the information.
More Examples
Let's now take a look at a couple more examples.
Example One: Deleterious
''Deleterious'' means ''harmful to all living things.'' Here's a sentence using it:
The air pollution caused by the excessive burning of fuel is deleterious.
What does the word ''deleterious'' sound like? In order to remember the word, you can picture someone on a computer pressing the delete button while clicking on Rio (in Brazil) and the U.S. If Rio and the U.S. were ''deleted,'' it would certainly be harmful to all living things in that city and country!
Example Two: La Escalera
We can venture into a vocabulary word from a different language to make a point. Using the keyword method when trying to learn vocabulary words from another language is a great way to memorize and learn those words.
La escalera in Spanish means ''stairs.'' It just so happens that escalera sounds like ''escalator.'' Because an escalator is a moving staircase, this is an easy example of the use of the keyword method at work in learning a new language.
Example Three: La Mermelada
Mermelada is another Spanish word that means, ''jam'' as in the spread that you put on toast. If you sound out the word, it sounds a little like ''mermaid.''
You can visualize a mermaid. Perhaps you see the iconic vision of a beautiful mermaid with long flowing hair perched on a rock with waves crashing behind her. What is this mermaid doing? She is making jam, but she gets upset because her toast gets soggy from the crashing waves before she is able to spread the jam onto her bread.
This particular visualization may seem funny and odd, but as mentioned earlier in the lesson, the stranger the vision, the larger chance you will remember the word and corresponding definition.
Lesson Summary
Okay, let's take a moment to review what we've learned. The keyword method is a mnemonic device, or mechanism such as an image or rhyme used to help memorize something. The keyword method is when a person uses what a word sounds like to visualize something memorable that will help them later recall the definition.
Our brains are better at memorizing visual input rather than auditory input. Yet the brain memorizes at optimal functioning when it is exposed to multiple sensory stimuli rather than just one sensory experience. The stranger the image used in the keyword method, the more likely you will be able to recall the definition of the word later. The keyword method is a great technique for learning vocabulary in your own and other languages too!
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