ASSESSING VOCABULARY LEARNING STRATEGIES OF ESL UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Abstract

Despite playing a crucial role in language learning, vocabulary knowledge is often not emphasised in the classroom setting, and even more so in English as a Second Language (ESL) classrooms. As language instructors, investigating students' vocabulary learning strategies (VLS) helps in understanding how the students develop their vocabulary knowledge, hence giving language instructors insights on appropriate activities during the language learning process that encourage active learning. This study was therefore done to assess VLS used by ESL students from Business Management faculty in a public university in Melaka, Malaysia. In this quantitative study, a purposive sampling of 36 students in an intact group was given an adapted version of Schmitt’s Vocabulary Learning Strategies Questionnaire (VLSQ) consisting of 39 items. The data gathered was then analysed through statistical analysis (SPSS). The results of the study revealed the most and least preferred VLS among the participants. An observable difference in the least preferred VLS was also found among the male and female participants. The study thus concluded that assessing students’ VLS is necessary in planning suitable vocabulary activities that can cater to them.