An Study On The Effect Of Memorization Through Association On Vocabulary Acquisition

The relative neglect of studies of vocabulary acquisition and related areas of lexical research in second language acquisition has often been commented on within the fields of language teaching and applied linguistics in recent years. Since vocabulary acquisition is an indispensable part in language acquisition, it is undoubtedly necessary for us to make efforts on studying how individual words are acquired by EFL learners.Based on the theories of mental lexicon and semantic network, by holding investigation on synonyms, antonyms, hyponyms, metonyms and associate words, this present research is oriented to testify the effect of association on memorizing English words, as well as to explain the internal structure of mental lexicon.90 university students were involved in the investigation. At the first and the second stages, these subjects in two groups received immediate recall tests and a postponed test on 200 prompt words, with the purpose of examining different effects of memorizing methods, namely, rote rehearsal learning and association memorizing methods, thus testifying the effect of association methods. At the third stage, another test was held, with a view to study the relationship among synonyms and antonyms, hyponyms, meronyms and associative words, and how the words are acquired by EFL learners.SPSS was used to analyze the raw data quantitatively. The following major findings are obtained:1) Generally speaking, there is close relationship between memorizing methods of vocabulary and memorizing effect. Associations of synonymy, antonymy, hyponymy and meronymy contribute to memorize words efficiently, both in short-term aspect and in long-term aspect.2) Individual words are related to each other based on sense relations. Words insyntagmatic relations (associative words) are acquired much more easily than those in paradigmatic relations (synonymy, antonymy, hyponymy and meronymy). Specifically speaking, the retrieval of associative words is much easier than that of synonyms, antonyms, hyponyms and meronyms, of which the acquisition of hyponyms and meronyms goes further prior to that of synonyms and acquisition of antonyms lags behind.3) Whatever memorizing methods are employed, repeated rehearsal is needed to achieve long-term memory and efficient retrieval.In conclusion, with the understanding that words are stored based on sense relations, words in syntagamatic relations are grasped prior to words in paradigmatic relations. Association memorizing methods of synonymy, antonymy, hyponymy, meronymy, and associative words are suggestive in the practice of learning and teaching. Teachers may give more stimuli and repetition training to the students to improve their abilities of vocabulary memory. Besides, more practice on antonyms is needed to help the students to have an overall vocabulary knowledge.