The keyword method: a powerful memory aid to vocabulary learning in the EFL classroom (An experimental study)

Abstract

Most research methods on the keyword method were based on evidence from lab experiments. This study investigated the use of the keyword method in a normal classroom situation. 45 Arab students were taught the definition of 20 non-frequent English words and nonsense words using the keyword method; another 45 students acted as the control group in which the same words were taught using a contextual method. A t-test was applied to the results of two-criterion tests - an immediate recall test and a delayed recall test administered two weeks later. Subjects in the keyword group outperformed subjects in the control group at a significant level in both acquisition and retention.