SUPPORTING VOCABULARY RETENTION THROUGH STUDENT-CREATED VISUAL DICTIONARIES

This exploratory action research examines the impact of student-created visual dictionaries on vocabulary retention and learner autonomy among lower secondary EFL learners. In the exploratory phase, data was collected on how students currently recorded and recalled new vocabulary. The findings indicated limited use of personalized strategies and poor long-term retention. In the action phase, students created individualized visual dictionaries using drawings and example sentences for newly learned words over five weeks. The intervention led to improved vocabulary recall scores and increased learner engagement. The results suggest that visual dictionaries promote deeper processing of vocabulary and foster learner independence in vocabulary development.