Vocabulary Learning and Retention through Semantic Mapping Strategies: A Comparative Study of Three Different Strategy Types

The present study investigated the effect of different semantic mapping strategies on vocabulary learning and retention.Specifically, it examined the relative effectiveness of three different strategy types, namely Using Word Relationship (UWR),Lexical Relations and Definition (LRD), and Personal Word Connections (PWC). To this end, 120 intermediate students,whose homogeneity was confirmed through a 40-item multiple-choice vocabulary pretest, were assigned to three contrastgroups (30 each), and a control group (n = 30). The participants in the contrast groups attended the treatment two sessionsa week for four weeks in which they received different semantic mapping strategies. The control group received no treatmentregarding the target words and was only involved in mere reviewing and revising the words. An immediate posttest consisting of 40 vocabulary items other than the items in the pretest were used to see whether or not the semantic mappingstrategies were instrumental in improving learners’ vocabulary knowledge. To measure the possible long term impact of thethree different strategies of semantic mapping (vocabulary retention), a delayed posttest was run two weeks after the immediate one. Based on the results of three One-way ANOVAs and a repeated-measure ANOVA, it was found out that the four groups gained improvement from the pretest to posttest 1 and these gains were substantial for UWR, LRD, and PWC but the control group showed a slight improvement. In spite of all groups improvement from the pretest to posttest 2, their performance declined from the posttest 1 to the delayed posttest. All in all, it was concluded that different semantic mappingstrategies have differing degrees of impact on vocabulary learning and retention.

Keywords:

Learning strategies , semantic mapping , vocabulary learning , retention