A Study of the Effects of Using Mnemonics in Learning Chinese Characters

A study of the effects of using mnemonics in learning Chinese characters was conducted with forty American English speakers who had not had any previous experience with oriental languages. The subjects were divided into two groups: the experimental group using mnemonics and the control group using repetition. One hundred Chinese characters were presented in three lessons lasting a total of seventy minutes. A ten-minute immediate-recall test was, given right after each lesson. Seven days after the immediate-recall test, a thirty-minute delayed-retention test with exactly the same content was given. The findings showed significant differences between the two groups. In both the immediate-recall test and the delayed-retention test, the experimental group exceeded the control group to a considerable degree. The result of this study indicates that the use of mnemonics markedly facilitates the learning of Chinese characters.

Thesis Author: Hu, MeiXiang

Year Completed: 1989

Thesis Chair: Robert Blair