The Relationship between Iraqi EFL Learners’ Vocabulary Learning Strategies Use and Their Receptive Vocabulary Size

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between Iraqi English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ vocabulary learning strategies (VLS) and vocabulary size (VS). Participants included 118 EFL learners at Sulaymaniyah University in Iraq, all of whom were studying in the School of Basic-Education English Department. Two instruments were employed to collect data: a VLS questionnaire designed by Schmitt (1997) was administered in order to determine the range and frequency of VLS use, and a four-level (2000, 3000, 5000 and academic word list) vocabulary learning test (VLT) designed by Schmitt, et al. (2001) was used to measure learners’ receptive vocabulary size. The aim of this study was to determine the kinds of strategies learners utilized as well as their relationship to students’ VS. The results demonstrated that students utilized consolidation more frequently than discovery strategies. Moreover, the most frequently utilized VLS was studying the sounds of new words, while the least frequent one was working in groups to discover the meanings of new words. In terms of total VLS, the students can be considered as moderate VLS users (M= 3.003). The results of correlation analysis revealed that there exist positive, negative and sometimes no relationships between learners’ VLS and VS. Finally, the findings of multiple regression analysis concluded the R Square value to be (0.284), which means that the predicted variables could account for 28.4% of the participants’ levels of receptive VS.This study concluded that systematic and appropriate strategies support learners to increase their VS.