UTILIZING STORY-BASED MNEMONICS TO ENHANCE TWELFTH GRADE STUDENTS' MASTERY OF THE ACADEMIC WORD LIST

Abstract

Despite growing interest in mnemonic strategies for vocabulary instruction, empirical evidence on the use of story-based mnemonics to develop Academic Word List (AWL) mastery in Indonesian secondary education remains limited. This study aims to examine the effect of the story-based mnemonic technique on twelfth-grade students’ mastery of the Academic Word List (AWL) at MA Al-Ijtihad Danger. This study employed a quantitative pre-experimental design using one group pre-test and post-test. The sample consisted of 30 students selected through random sampling. The instrument was 30-item AWL vocabulary test validated by experts and proven reliable (Cronbach’s Alpha = 0.87). The treatment was conducted in four instructional meetings. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired samples t-test. The results showed that the mean score increased from 10.83 (SD = 2.97) in the pre-test to 18.70 (SD = 4.15) in the post-test. The paired-samples t-test revealed a significant difference (t = -16.68, p < 0.05), indicating that the story-based mnemonic technique significantly improved students’ mastery of the Academic Word List. These findings suggest that integrating academic vocabulary into meaningful narratives can serve as an effective and engaging instructional strategy for enhancing academic vocabulary development in senior high school EFL classrooms.