Mnemonics in Teaching Vocabulary

Learning English as foreign language can not be separated from the process of recognizing new vocabularies of the English itself. The process of catching the new word, on this case, must activate the function of the brain. The role of the brain in memorizing new vocabulary is as a box to store the word itself. Every student has different ability in optimizing the function of the brain. Some students are able to store and memorize new information in long term, while the others are only able to store the information in short term. In learning English, particularly in recognizing new vocabulary, many students have lack capacity in memorizing English word in long term. Those students are actually able to store the information in the brain in long term, but they have not known yet how to use or optimize the function of the brain in memorizing new vocabulary.

Mnemonics is memorizing technique that is able to help the students to store or memorize new information (new vocabulary) in long term. Mnemonic has effective role to translate information into a form that the brain can work better than its original form. In using this technique, students will activate their right brain. The system of this memorizing technique is how to change abstract information, in right brain to visual information by following the process of imagining, associating, and locating. Since the language of the brain is a visual or a picture, the process of visualizing the abstract information in the brain is precisely considered as the effective to store the information in a long term.

In teaching vocabulary, mnemonics technique can  be applied into two ways, they are Linking Mnemonics and Rhymes Songs Mnemonics. Link Words Mnemonics refers to the way to memorize English vocabulary by associating it with certain real object of the mother tongue word. After that the word associated, should be put into imaginative story. The following examples are Link Words Mnemonics:

English Vocabulary	Association	Imaginery Story
Gallop (Jalan cepat)	Galau	Obatnya Galau adalah berjalan cepat
Moustache (Kumis)	Motor Mustang	Pengendara Mustang pasti berkumis
City (kota)	Bu Siti	Bu siti suka pergi ke kota
Quivering (bergetar)	Kue kerings	Setelah makan kue kering perut kita akan begetar

In applying Link word mnemonics, it is suggested to create unique imagination in order that our brain is able to recognize and store the vocabulary in long term.

                Rhymes and Songs mnemonics is one of types of mnemonics tehcniques by combining the word memorized with a song. This tehnique is applied since there is a general fact that people are able to listen and memorize song easily. The song that used in this technique must be familiar with the students. The English teachers of kindergarten and elementary school frequently apply this technique. The following are the examples of Rhymes and Songs mnemonics:

The students are singing Mana di mana anak kambing saya in memorizing math formula

Plus ditambah

Minus dikurangi

Times dikali

Divided dibagi

Equals sama dengan 2x

I know English

I know about number

Which mnemonics are you going to apply? Explore your creativity to create creative teaching technique.