Vocabulary Learning Strategies of Iranian upper-intermediate EFL learners

Mohammad Hassanzadeh,Saeed Rezaei,Mohammad Khatib

doi:10.5539/ies.v4n2p144

Abstract

This study examines the preferred vocabulary learning strategies of Iranian upper-intermediate EFL learners. In order to identify the aforementioned group in terms of language proficiency, a TOEFL test was administered to a population of 146 undergraduate EFL students at the university of Vali-e-Asr in Rafsanjan, Iran. Those scoring above 480 were arbitrarily labeled as upper-intermediate. Subsequently a questionnaire known as VOLSI (Vocabulary Learning Strategies Inventory) was given to the same subjects to come up with their preferred vocabulary learning strategies. Finally, a stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that 11.4% of the variance in the learners’ L2 proficiency can be accounted for by three strategy categories involving self-motivation, word organization, and authentic language use .In addition, an independent-samples t-test indicated no significant difference between learners’ gender and their VLS choice.

Highlights

Owing to the challenging demands of a highly competitive world, many foreign/second language learners are in desperate search for time-efficient strategies to cope with the never-ending lexical predicaments inter alia, inherent in any language.At any rate, resourceful learners often try and develop short cuts for effective vocabulary learning in the face of existing time constraints
In order to find out more about the strategies espoused by more proficient students, a stepwise multiple regression analysis was conducted yielding the following coefficients
As can be seen from the above tables, a stepwise multiple regression analysis was used in order to identify the vocabulary learning strategies that are the best predictors of L2 proficiency

Summary

Introduction

Owing to the challenging demands of a highly competitive world, many foreign/second language learners are in desperate search for time-efficient strategies to cope with the never-ending lexical predicaments inter alia, inherent in any language.At any rate, resourceful learners often try and develop short cuts for effective vocabulary learning in the face of existing time constraints. Vocabulary Learning Strategies (VLS) research attempts to explore and introduce such coveted short cuts and to this end, draws on the initiatives taken by successful learners in order to provide a useful roadmap for those in need. The increasing body of research on VLS, in the last two decades as Atay and Ozbulgan (2007) maintain, wishes to shed more light on learners’ strategy repertoire and facilitate second/foreign language vocabulary learning and recall. Studies on VLS have been conducted from various perspectives and in relation to various factors to date In their seminal article, Oxford and Scarcella (1994) highlighted guessing from context as the most useful strategy by far and advised teachers to teach vocabulary through as many fully contextualized activities as possible.

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