Volume 6-3 September 2010.

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Title
The Effect of Time Intervals on the Keyword Mnemonic Technique Used in Teaching Vocabulary to Iranian Female EFL Learners

Authors
Nasser Rashidi (Ph.D)
Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

Mansoureh Sajjadi (M.A in TEFL)
Islamic Azad University, Abadeh Branch, Iran

 Bio Data
Nasser Rashidi, an academic member of the Department of Foreign Languages and Linguistics of Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran. His area of research is TEFL including language teaching and testing, discourse analysis and sociolinguistics. His recent publications include Practical Contrastive Analysis of English and Persian with Special Emphasis on Grammar with L. Yarmohammadi (2009) and Practical Contrastive Analysis of English and Persian with Special Emphasis on Vocabulary with L. Yarmohammadi (2010).                                                                                         

Mansoureh Sajjadi holds an MA in TEFEL from the Department of Foreign Languages of Azad University, Shiraz branch, Iran. She teaches English courses and IELTS at different institutes in Shiraz. She is a faculty member of the Department of English, Azad University, Abadeh Branch.                                           

Abstract
This research investigates the effect of time intervals on vocabulary retrieval of Iranian female EFL learners who used the keyword method to encode the information entering the long term memory. The design of this study required two groups of learners, so sixty students (all females) served as subjects. They had enrolled in conversation classes level 10 at Payam Language Institute in Shiraz., Iran.

The students were randomly assigned to control and experimental groups. The treatment in this study was based on Atkinson’s human information processing system (1975) and took advantage of using keyword method during encoding information in transferring information from short term memory to make the retrieval easier. The study however, compared learners’ immediate recall with their delayed recall and involved two conditions either specific to control group and experimental group.

The experimental group enjoyed some special Flashcards that involved pictures and keywords on them. Keywords selected were all root-related to the meanings of the words that students were assigned to memorize. Participants in the experimental group were asked to learn their words using keywords provided and make relationship among the meanings of words, keywords and pictures on Flashcards as it had been used in the classroom by the teacher while teaching. They had 15 minutes to process 10 words and then there were two tests to take. One production test and one comprehension test.

Two days later a surprise recall test was given. Tests sheets were exactly the same as before. To examine the effects of the treatment a t-test was run. Results of data analysis showed that mnemonic keyword instruction resulted in higher levels of recall and comprehension. The findings can be used in both materials development and teaching vocabulary in reading comprehension classes.