Action Research On Using Association Memory Strategies To Improve English Vocabulary Memorization For Primary School Students

Wilkins, the British linguist, stated that "Without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed." Vocabulary is the essence of language. During teaching, the author found primary school students had various problems in learning vocabulary, such as low interest in vocabulary acquisition, low efficiency in memorizing vocabulary and high tendency in forgetting vocabulary already acquired. To solve the problem of vocabulary memorization as a time-consuming labor, the author conducted a four-month action research on instructing students using Association Memory Strategies to improve English vocabulary memorization. The author holds the opinion that vocabulary learning can not be separated from memorization. Therefore vocabulary memorization lies in the application of vocabulary learning strategies. The action research’s focus was on four association memory strategies:Sound Association Memory Strategy, Word Form Association Memory Strategy, Word Meaning Association Memory Strategy and Self-involvement Association Memory Strategy. It is also designed to find out the relationship between the Association Memory Strategies and the effects on English vocabulary memorization for students in primary schools. It aims to highlight the possibility of using Association Memory Strategies to guide students in memorizing vocabulary, and then to prove it in practical classroom teaching, hoping to solve the problem of vocabulary memorization difficulties in elementary school students. This action research is aiming to highlight the right association memory strategies that can help the primary school students memorize vocabulary effectively. After implementing the action research, the author then aims to seek answers to the two research questions:1) Can the training of Association Memory Strategy facilitate students’ competence of English learning and have a positive impact on the students’ vocabulary learning?2) How to improve students’ ability of memorizing English vocabulary by using Association Memory Strategy? Data are to be collected by questionnaires, classroom observations, interviews and tests. From the results of the data analysis, the author makes the conclusions that association memorization strategy improves students’performance and interest in English learning. The students have had a significant improvement in their ability to learn vocabulary as well as developing a more positive attitude towards vocabulary learning which lays a solid foundation for their future English learning.