A Comparative Study Of The Mechanical And Associative Methods In Memorizing English Vocabulary In Senior High School

According to the New Standard of English Curriculum for Senior High Schools by the Ministry of Education in2003, senior high school students are expected to master a large number of3300words plus300to400phrases (level8), when they finish this level. Without doubt, a gauntlet is thrown down for the current English vocabulary teaching and learning in senior high schools. The problem of how to improve the efficiency of vocabulary retention is in urgent need of being explored, so the study on the Mechanical Memory Method (MMM) and the Associative Memory Method (AMM) is likely to lend a helping hand to this situation.On the basis of the "Levels of Processing Theory" put forward by Craik and Lockhart, this study compares the similarities and differences between the above--mentioned memorization methods and discusses the effects the two memorization methods have on the vocabulary retention. One word contains at least three kinds of information units, that is to say, sound, form and meaning, whose relationships with Mechanical Memory Method and Associative Memory Method are to be investigated from the perspective of psycholinguistics and cognitive linguistics. MMM and AMM will be compared in terms of their classifications, characteristics and effects.This study has three research questions which are listed as follows.(1) Between the Mechanical Memory Method and Associative Memory Method, which one do senior high school students prefer to use?(2) What are the different effects of the two suggested memorization methods in memorizing English vocabulary?(3) What attitudes do the senior high school students have towards the two memorization methods?This dissertation conducted the-research in which101Senior Grade One students from Gangu Xiangshan Senior High School in Gangu, Tianshui, Gansu province participated. The subjects include two classes, class A as the experimental class has51students, while class B as control group has50students. The two classes are almost the same in terms of the average English score in the entrance exam to senior high school. Roughly speaking, they can be considered as the parallel classes of the same level in every aspect. In the experiment,the author taught the two classes ten new words in a word list and asked them to memorize their spellings using the Mechanical Memory Method, then the author tested them one day later. On the following days, the author spent one teaching period in teaching students in class A how to memorize the ten to-be-tested words by means of Associative Memorization Method, whereas the similar instructions on the use of Associative Memory Method were not given to students in class B. The second test was given to them to complete one day later, then the comparative work on the effects of the two memorization methods was done.This study reveals the following findings:(1) It can be found through the questionnaire and interview that the Mechanical Memory Method is widely used by eighty-five percent of the senior high school students, it even ranks first among vocabulary memory methods in term of it frequency, and less than twenty percent of the surveyed students employ the Associative Memory Method. MMM is liked much better than AMM among the senior high school students at the beginning stage of vocabulary memory.(2)Through the experiment, it must be noted that the two suggested methods are similar in their effect. At the same time, it shows the application potential of AMM in vocabulary memory among the senior high school students. Both of them have their own advantages and disadvantages, and it is not a question of which method is better but a question of which method is more suitable for the memory task.(3) The senior high school students take unscientific attitudes to the two suggested methods. Although MMM is widely employed by eighty-five percent of the senior high school students, yet the greater part of the students have a wrong opinion of it. They should not mistreat Mechanical Memory Method as rote learning without discrimination. Teachers should emphasize the positive role of the Mechanical Memory Method at the beginning stage of English vocabulary memory and offer more space for the popularization of Associative Memory Method in senior high school.A balance should be struck and moderate attitudes should be taken toward the two suggested methods.Based on what we have discussed, the author gives some suggestions concerning the use of vocabulary memory methods and recommends some other areas related to this topic for future research.