Abstract
The present study, by use of questionnaire and vocabulary tests, has investigated the foreign language vocabulary learning situation of 481 undergraduates in terms of their perspective of vocabulary learning, strategy use and vocabulary size. Based on the questionnaire investigation and vocabulary level tests, the characteristics of the subjects’ foreign language vocabulary learning have been outlined: (1) Objects have the belief that vocabulary should be learned by using them; the most frequently used strategies include dictionary use, guessing the meaning and note-taking; objects average out to a small vocabulary size. (2) Significant differences exist in the use of some strategies between different graders and different majors. (3) Four strategies (cognitive & meta-cognitive) significantly correlate with vocabulary size. In order to facilitate learners’ foreign language vocabulary development, four tentative solutions have been offered to solve the relevant problems: (1) Raising learners’ awareness of FL vocabulary development and try to enlarge their vocabulary size; (2) Developing learners’ productive vocabulary by using the target words in authentic contexts; (3) Fostering learners’ awareness of using appropriate vocabulary learning strategies; (4) Broadening learners’ vocabulary learning approaches by utilizing both the intentional (direct) learning methods and the incidental (indirect) ones. The research results may probably offer empirical reference for the foreign language vocabulary teaching and learning in China.
Highlights
As the communicative teaching approach prevailed in the 1970s, people have realized that vocabulary is the basis of any language
The representative studies that reflect the mainstream perspective and achievements in this domain include: Wang (1998) invited 50 subjects and studied the relationship between perspective, strategy use and retention effects of English vocabulary learning; Wu & Wang (1998) focused on the strategies used in English vocabulary learning by Non-English majors; Zhang (2001) did a similar study on the English vocabulary learning strategy of postgraduates; Gu (1994), Gu & Hu (2003) investigated the relationship between learners’ vocabulary learning strategy, vocabulary size and English achievements
After receiving the 481 subjects’ valid questionnaires and test papers, we scored them carefully, and by using SPSS 13.0 to do the data analysis, we got the statistical results in terms of the total descriptives, comparison between male and female subjects’ perspective and strategy use, comparison between different graders’ perspective and strategy use, comparison between English and Non-English majors’ perspective and strategy use, comparison between subjects’ receptive and productive vocabulary sizes, and the correlation between strategy use and vocabulary size
Summary
As the communicative teaching approach prevailed in the 1970s, people have realized that vocabulary is the basis of any language. The representative studies that reflect the mainstream perspective and achievements in this domain include: Wang (1998) invited 50 subjects and studied the relationship between perspective, strategy use and retention effects of English vocabulary learning; Wu & Wang (1998) focused on the strategies used in English vocabulary learning by Non-English majors; Zhang (2001) did a similar study on the English vocabulary learning strategy of postgraduates; Gu (1994), Gu & Hu (2003) investigated the relationship between learners’ vocabulary learning strategy, vocabulary size and English achievements These studies, on the one hand, have been quite effective in exploring the field of vocabulary learning strategy and promoting vocabulary teaching and learning practice in China; on the other hand, they have provided methodologically good examples for the researchers in China including so many EFL teachers, and improved the research quality in this domain. (6) Is there any correlation between learners’ strategy use and their vocabulary size?
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