Mnemonic-Based English Vocabulary Instruction for Translingual 3rd-4th Grade Students

Dana Samen, Gulnura Tulegenova, Tomiris Sagidolla, Alina Mumbassova

2026

Full text Open access: Gold Metadata (CSL-JSON)
DOI 10.59941/2960-0642-2026-1-153-164
Data confidence 70 medium
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Abstract

This study examines the effectiveness of mnemonic-based English vocabulary instruction among translingual primary school learners in Aktobe, Kazakhstan. Given the prevalent multilingual context in Kazakhstani classrooms, where students often utilize both Kazakh and Russian linguistic resources, this research investigates whether mnemonic techniques can enhance English vocabulary acquisition and speaking performance.A quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test control group design was implemented. The participant pool comprised 101 students in Grades 3 and 4 from a secondary school in Aktobe, Kazakhstan. Two classes were assigned to the experimental group and received mnemonic-based instruction, which incorporated phonological, visual, and rhyme-based techniques. Concurrently, two other classes constituted the control group and were taught using conventional vocabulary instruction. The intervention occurred throughout the second academic quarter of the 2025-2026 academic year.The findings indicate that students in the experimental groups achieved substantially higher learning gains compared to those in the control groups. Grade 3 students in the experimental group demonstrated a 27% improvement, whereas the control group showed an 11% improvement. Similarly, Grade 4 students in the experimental group exhibited a 32% improvement, while those receiving traditional instruction improved by 14%. Additionally, classroom observations suggested increased willingness to use newly acquired vocabulary during speaking activities. Independent-samples t-tests confirmed statistically significant differences between the experimental and control groups in both grade levels (p < 0.001).The study concludes that mnemonic-based instruction can effectively support vocabulary acquisition and speaking performance in translingual primary school learners. These findings underscore the pedagogical value of integrating learners’ existing linguistic resources into English language instruction and propose that mnemonic techniques may serve as an effective tool within multilingual educational contexts.