Acquisition of Nouns: Plain Nouns versus Nouns with Pictures

Abstract

Thanks are extended to all the librarians in the faculties of Arts

in Al-Neelain, and Sudan Universities in Sudan and Misurata

University in Libya for providing me with for the references I

needed.

Abstract

This research investigates the acquisition and

memorization of English language as a second language (L2). It

is applied through testing a group of 40 first year students of

English at the department of English language, faculty of Arts,

Al-Neelain University. The problem of memorizing nouns is also

discussed. The researcher tries to find the best method for

acquiring nouns. According to the hypotheses set, nouns are

best learned through either randomly chosen nouns and/or

categorized nouns accompanied with their objects under

categories. The tests are composed of 20 nouns from each of

these two groups of words. xx

A questionnaire composed of 20 statements, is also

arranged to be answered by 20 instructors chosen from four

universities in Khartoum State. At last the researcher lists the

results and the recommendations that appear as follows: First, it

is found that teaching categorized nouns accompanied with

their pictures gives good, reasonable results since students are

able to score high marks. Lower marks are obtained when

randomly chosen words are used. Second, nearly all instructors

support the hypotheses that categorized nouns accompanied

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with their objects are better used in the teaching process. As a

result the null hypothesis is refused. Finally, the researcher

recommends that researchers have to make more investigations

and researches in the field of psycholinguistics since it needs

more searches. He also recommends that instructors should use

visual aids in the teaching process. He adds that categorized

nouns and their pictures should necessarily be used through

overhead projectors, transparencies and other technological

means and multimedia.