A mnemonic device is any technique or system to improve or aid the memory by use of formulas. Memory aids enjoyed great popularity in ancient times, but with the advent of literacy, the need for memorization was lessened and mnemonics were not taught regularly. However, recent research in cognitive psychology suggests that mnemonics, taught and used systematically, hold great potential for classroom use. Beginning language students must store large quantities of vocabulary early in their instruction, while developing language skill areas. Teachers can encourage students to use imagery to retain vocabulary by imagining themselves in a situation in which the vocabulary items would be present, as in a restaurant while studying a unit on food. Research indicates that younger students remember best when teachers provide the images, while adults benefit most from using their own, personally meaningful images. Several specific types of mnemonic devices have been found to work well, including keyword mnemonics that couple the acoustic with the visual word form, and pegword mnemonics that require learning a standard list of pegwords and making several kinds of associations with them. Use of such techniques has been found to increase learning, but students must be made aware of the techniques and be given specific strategies for their use. (MSE)