SP24-077 The impact of the use of mnemonics on vocabulary acquisition in Junior Cycle French

Date : Monday, 8th April 2024
Time : 7.00pm - 8.00pm
Venue : Online

Target Audience : Junior Cycle MFL Teachers

"The mother tongue is the womb from which the second language is born" (Deller et al, 2002, pg. 4). Adopting the interdependent identities of a life-long language learner and a facilitator of language learning, Elizabeth Kelleher invariably holds the belief that native languages (L1) should be perceived as a "resource rather than a hindrance" in second language (L2) learning (Chowdhury et al, 2018, pg. 311).

This conviction has inadvertently spurred her to acquire, and in turn impart skills related to developing mnemonics that she believes greatly facilitate French vocabulary acquisition.

Considering the intrinsic role vocabulary acquisition plays in realising the Junior Cycle's aim to enable students to "communicate effectively [...] in the target language", pedagogical measures that can potentially enhance such a language learning process should be promoted (AROS, 2015, Aim).

Learning intention:

To explore how to use mnemonics to improve receptive and productive vocabulary acquisition as well as self efficacy among Junior Cycle MFL students.

Biography :

Elizabeth Kelleher is a Post-Primary French, Business Studies and Business teacher in Christian Brothers College, Cork, and the winner of the National University of Ireland Prize for Proficiency in French and the 2017 French Governmental Medal.