Felidéző szókapcsolatok a helyesírás tanításában

Abstract

The present study examines the potential use of mnemonic devices that facilitate the encoding and
retrieval of information in orthography instruction. One of the key issues in teaching orthography
is the instruction of words the correct spelling of which cannot be learned or can only be learned
with difficulty through learning rules (algorithmization). In such cases, the use of recall-supporting
memory aids – phrases, sentences, stories, pseudo-explanations or images – can be an effective
solution. The aim of this study is to present and analyse a subset of a memory-aid corpus –
specifically mnemonic phrases (partly compounds) – (N = 147) compiled with the participation of
students of Hungarian studies and primary teacher education enrolled in orthography (instruction)
courses at J. Selye University. The analysis focuses on formal and semantic aspects. Memory
aids are unreasonably neglected didactic tools in orthography instruction and are used mainly
in the lower grades of primary education. Among their various types, pseudo-explanations and
mnemonic phrases occur in relatively higher proportions, although they still represent only a
small share of the corpus (students tend to like the former for their humorous effect and the latter
for their conciseness). In addition to reviewing the factors contributing to their effectiveness –
namely the principles of economy, visualisation and positive norm violation, the present study
examines the sub-corpus of mnemonic phrases from six perspectives: topic, structure, the
direction of retrieval, associative relationship, frequency, and mode of retrieval. The analysis
identifies the defining characteristics of a prototypical mnemonic phrase that meets the criteria
of effectiveness and can be used effectively in orthography instruction.