FACTORS AFFECTING THE LEARNING OF FOREIGN-LANGUAGE VOCABULARY - IMAGERY KEYWORD MEDIATORS AND PHONOLOGICAL SHORT-TERM-MEMORY

In order to investigate the cognitive processes involved in learning F oreign Language (FL) vocabulary, this study evaluates different method s of instruction. It demonstrates that keyword techniques are effectiv e for receptive learning but that repetition is a superior strategy fo r learning to produce the foreign word. Performance is optimal when le arners combine both strategies. The nature of the keyword is crucial-w hereas imageable noun keywords promote learning, verb keywords actuall y impede it. A theoretical analysis of the roles of phonological short -term memory, imagery, and lexical factors in FL vocabulary learning i s presented.