Preparatory Year Research Articles

Investigating Preparatory Year Saudi Students’ Preferences Towards Different Feedback Methods to Improve Their Writing in EFL Classrooms

This research aims to determine the most effective type of feedback for enhancing the writing skills of the students of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in Saudi Arabia. The study investigates preparatory year students' attitudes towards different feedback types, direct comments, indirect suggestions, and metalinguistic feedback. By analyzing the effectiveness of these feedback methods, educators can improve EFL education in Saudi Arabia. The research employs a mixed methods approach, involving interviews with seven teachers and a questionnaire administered to students. Findings from previous studies on feedback effectiveness were reviewed to provide insights for instructional practices. Ultimately, the study intends to provide valuable insights into the feedback methods employed in the EFL writing classes in Saudi Arabia. The findings show that teachers tend to prefer indirect feedback, while 75% of male students favor direct feedback and 66.7% of female students prefer metalinguistic feedback. However, indirect feedback was ranked as the second favorite type by both male students, who accounted for 15%, and female students, who accounted for 20%. Overall, indirect comments appear to be the most effective as they allow students to reflect on their mistakes and discover the correct answers, enhancing their learning experience. To establish more reliable and valid results, the researchers recommend repeating the study with a larger sample of participants.

The Impact of Vocabulary Clustering on Facilitating Vocabulary Development Among Saudi EFL Learners

The current study sought to investigate how organizing new vocabulary through semantic, ‎thematic, or unrelated sets could affect the learning process among Saudi EFL learners. The ‎majority of EFL teachers and materials writers seem to introduce and cluster new words according to a ‎particular type of semantic relationship (e.g., vegetables, body organs, car parts, or house parts) or a thematical relationship (e.g., a hotel room reservation, visiting a doctor's clinic, going to the post office, or at the train station). ‎Participants in the current research were 149 EFL students from the Preparatory Year Program (PYP) at Al-Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMISIU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The design of this study was a pretest-treatment and posttest-delayed post-test. Two ‎types of clustering of new vocabulary were explored: semantically related sets and semantically ‎unrelated sets, which were constructed to identify how organizing new vocabulary could affect ‎the learning process among Saudi EFL learners. The findings of the study showed that both semantically ‎related (SR) and semantically unrelated (SU) sets ‎ seemed to help in learning new words. Nonetheless, ‎those new words behaved differently one week after the treatment. Moreover, the SR group scored significantly better on both delayed tests than ‎their ‎counterparts. Furthermore, the study's outcomes failed to indicate any interfering effect of ‎teaching and studying semantically relevant terms simultaneously in an actual classroom setting.‎ This study concluded with recommendations for teaching and learning programs to ‎develop ‎students' conceptual understanding of organizing new vocabulary that affects the learning ‎process among Saudi EFL learner’s context.‎

Learning Strategies For Listening Skills Among Arabic Learners In The Preparatory Year At Faculties Of Islamic Sciences In Turkey/ إستراتيجيات التعلم الخاصة بمهارة الاستِماع لدى متعلمي العَربيّةِ في السنة التحضيرية في كليات العلوم الإسلامية في تركيا

Listening skills in Arabic are a gateway to acquiring knowledge and a means of learning and communication. However, many preparatory year students in the Faculties of Islamic Sciences in Turkey complain about its difficulty and suffer from weak listening skills for various reasons. Modern studies in foreign language education emphasize the necessity for learners to possess learning strategies for each language skill due to their significant importance in developing these skills and overcoming many problems and difficulties that learners may encounter. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the learning strategies specific to listening skills among Arabic learners in the preparatory year at some Turkish universities and investigate the impact of variables (gender, place of study) on their use of these strategies. The study was conducted on a sample of 127 randomly selected male and female preparatory year students nearing the end of their year at several universities for the academic year 2023-2024. To achieve the study's objectives, the researcher used the descriptive-analytical method and developed a questionnaire that included a graduated scale measuring the extent to which learners use these strategies, consisting of 20 strategies distributed across three fields: 1. Pre-listening strategies, 2. While-listening strategies, 3. post-listening strategies. The study showed that preparatory year students practice pre-listening and while-listening strategies highly, while post-listening strategies are practiced moderately. The study revealed statistically significant differences between the averages of the sample individuals attributed to gender, in favor of females, in using pre-listening and while-listening strategies, but no differences in post-listening strategies. The study also showed statistically significant differences between the averages of the sample individuals attributed to the university, with Sabahattin Zaim University ranking first, followed by Sultan Mehmet Fatih University in pre-listening and while-listening strategies. As for post-listening strategies, Sabahattin Zaim University ranked first, followed by Kocaeli University. These results emphasize the need for teachers to pay more attention to language learning strategies in all skills in their lessons, in addition to guiding their students to the correct learning strategies and training them on how to use them.

The Effectiveness Of A Proposed Educational Unit Based On The Comprehensive Language Approach In Developing Reading Skills Among Foreign Learners At The Intermediate Level/ فاعلية وحدة تعليمية مقترحة قائمة على المدخل الكلي للغة في تنمية مهارة القراءة لدى الدارسين الأجانب في المستوى المتوسط

This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of a proposed educational unit in light of the Whole Language approach in developing some Arabic language arts skills among foreign learners at the intermediate level. To achieve this goal, the researcher built research tools consisting of indicators of necessary Arabic language arts skills for foreign learners at the intermediate level. Method: a pre-and post-test will be used to develop appropriate Arabic language arts skills among foreign learners at the intermediate level. The study sample consisted of thirty male and female students from the preparatory year program at the Language Center of the Faculty of Languages and Communication at Sultan Zainal Abidin University, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia. The researcher adopted the descriptive and quasi-experimental method when applying the study tools. After experimenting with the study tools and analyzing the results (data) of the pre-and post-applications statistically using statistical packages system of social sciences to calculate percentages, relative weight, and standard deviation, the study reached results, the most important of which are: (1) The effectiveness of the proposed educational unit built in the light of whole approach in developing Arabic language arts skills as a whole. (2) The effectiveness of the proposed educational unit is built in the light of the whole approach to developing language skills in each skill area separately. According to its results, the study also suggested some recommendations and proposals, the most important of which are: (1) The need to adopt the Whole language approach in developing the reading skills of Arabic language learners, whether native or non-native speakers. (2) The importance of sensitizing Arabic language teachers to the importance of this approach and providing training to familiarize them with the application of this approach. (3) This approach is used in teaching other language skills because it positively impacts the teaching of the Arabic language.

Unlocking the Potential: Attitudes of Tertiary Level EFL Learners Towards Using AI in Language Learning

In the current era of rapid change in which AI has become inevitable in foreign language education as in many aspects of life, this study, which aims to examine EFL learners’ attitudes towards AI and to analyse its future potential, was conducted with the participation of 772 English preparatory year students studying at A2, B1, and B2 levels in the schools of foreign languages of a state and a private (foundation) university in Türkiye. The data for the study were collected online through an attitude scale (MALL:AI) and an open-ended survey question. Quantitative results revealed that the participants had moderate attitudes towards the use of AI in EFL learning, with no clear tendency towards positive attitudes. While university type and gender were not found to be significant determinants of attitudes, engineering and natural sciences students showed more positive attitudes towards AI in EFL learning than those in the humanities and social sciences. In terms of proficiency level, A2 level participants reflected lower attitudes in the behavioural factor than B1 and B2 levels. Qualitatively, it was found that students had overwhelmingly positive perspectives on the use of AI, shared some negative approaches with reservations, and offered concrete suggestions for the integration of AI into ELT. With its intriguing findings, the present study sheds light on further studies and paves the way for educational administrators and EFL instructors to better make use of AI in language education.

Saudi EFL Students’ Perception of the Quality of Teacher-Student Relationships and the Factors that Impact Their Self-Efficacy Beliefs

This study aimed to explore the perceptions of English as Foreign Language (EFL) students in the Preparatory Year Program (PYP) at a Saudi university about emotional quality of teacher-student relationships and the factors that impact their self-efficacy beliefs in EFL classrooms. To accomplish this, an explanatory sequential mixed methods approach was implemented. Starting with a quantitative approach a questionnaire was distributed to 340 EFL students followed by a qualitative approach in terms of 8 semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore the students’ perceptions. The quantitative data were analyzed statistically using SPSS and the transcribed interviews were coded manually after which a thematic analysis was used to extract the emerging themes. The results demonstrated that students have a positive relationship with their teachers in EFL classrooms and they view their English language teachers as reassuring, reliable, and trustworthy. Students also believe that their relationship with their teachers influences both their academic and personal growth. Finally, the outcomes of this study also showed that students believe that relationship with their significant others, teachers- peers- family members, and outcome expectancy impact their self-efficacy greatly in EFL classrooms. This research provides insight into the emotional quality of teacher-student relationships and students’ self-efficacy in EFL classes, and the findings provide insights that can inform teaching strategies, curriculum development, organizations, and learner support systems.

Challenges of EFL Course Retaking: Toward a Model for Remedial Reading

Course retaking brings pivotal challenges for learning institutions all over the world. This urges many academicians to investigate the reasons why students retake courses. Therefore, this article identifies the micro and macro challenges associated with retaking a reading course. It also generates a remedial reading model for English as foreign language (EFL) contexts. Data was collected from reading course specifications, course report, and focused group discussions with six experienced language instructors at the preparatory year program of a Saudi university. Using grounded theory, the qualitative data was analyzed through thematic analysis. The findings revealed a complex web of challenges associated with different stakeholders: the course retakers, language instructors, administration, and retakers’ families; all of them share the challenge of time constraints, especially after the shift from two to three semesters. At the micro level, course retakers struggle with poor foundational skills and demotivation, focusing on passing exams. They also lack exposure to English and seldom invest office hours for help. Language instructors struggle with learning materials, demotivation, and assessment. At the macro level, students’ families contribute to maximize these challenges. A gap exists between the intended learning outcomes and student levels and admission criteria. These challenges collectively hinder course retakers’ reading skills. The study generates a five-pillar bridging model that integrates learning outcomes, exam-oriented teaching strategies, simplified reading materials, technology-assisted reading, and motivational strategies to foster EFL remedial reading. The study recommends some pedagogical implications for remedial reading classes.

Exploring The Relationship between Self-Efficacy and Second Language Writing Anxiety Among Saudi EFL Students: A Correlational Study

Students face many difficulties in writing in a second language. Writing anxiety is considered one of the factors that affect students’ writing proficiency. The current study focused on exploring the relationship between writing anxiety and students’ self-efficacy. This study investigated the relationship between writing anxiety and self-efficacy among preparatory-year students at Majmaah University. The study followed a quantitative research design where data were collected through two questionnaires: Language Writing Anxiety Inventory (SLWAI) by Cheng (2004b) and Erkan and Saban’s self-efficacy scale (2011) 99 EFL Preparatory Year students participated in this study. Participants were provided with the questionnaire at the end of the first semester of 2023, and they were randomly selected. The findings of the study showed that the level of self-efficacy among preparatory-year students was moderate, while the level of writing anxiety among students was moderate. Correlation analysis revealed that there’s a moderate negative relationship between writing anxiety and self-efficacy.

An investigation into the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination among undergraduate medical students (A prospective cross-sectional KAP survey)

Introduction: The most common sexually transmitted infection worldwide is the human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. It is believed that over 80% of sexually active women have contracted the virus at some point in their lives. About 11 million women in Saudi Arabia who are aged 15 to 44 years are at risk of having HPV-related cervical cancer. Aim: To assess the awareness and knowledge of undergraduate medical students (males and females) about the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination and to pinpoint the major factors influencing their attitudes towards it. Subjects and methods: A prospective, cross-sectional online survey included 411 undergraduate medical students (males and females) across different grades during three months, from January 1st to March 31st, 2024, at the Batterjee Medical College, Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia. We statistically analyzed the collected data using Microsoft Office®, Excel® 2016, and IBM's Statistical Package for Social Studies (SPSS®) version 26.0. IBM is located in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Results: The majority of participating students were of young age, 20–25 years old (233, 56.69%), female (393, 95.62%), and of Saudi nationality (260, 63.26%). The most common recruited students were from the preparatory year (124, 30.17%), while the fewest were from the M6 grade (6, 1.46%). We implemented "Kamel's scoring system for students' awareness", which yielded the following scores: not acceptable (124, 30.17%), fairly acceptable (101, 24.57%), moderately acceptable (95, 23.11%), acceptable (71, 17.27%), and highly acceptable (20, 4.87%). Next, we implemented "Kamel's scoring system for students' knowledge", which yielded the following scores: very low (130, 31.63%), low (110, 26.76%), moderate (90, 21.90%), high (50, 12.17%), and very high (31, 7.54%). We implemented "Kamel's scoring system for students' attitude" to assess the students' attitude towards HPV vaccine utilization. We interpreted the calculated scores as inadequate or poor (136, 33.09%), reasonable or fair (100, 24.33%), sufficient or good (80, 19.46%), remarkable or very good (70, 17.03%), and outstanding or excellent (25, 6.08%). results were of statistical significance (the P-value is <0.00001). Conclusion: The estimated degree of awareness and knowledge about the HPV vaccination among undergraduate medical students at the Batterjee Medical College (BMC) was poor. This results in low motivation and utilization of the available vaccine.

Self‐regulation and self‐efficacy of EFL learners in hybrid educational settings in Türkiye

AbstractDistance learning, online learning and hybrid learning models have been a part of language education for a long time. The adoption of these models and research focusing on related phenomena have become even more frequent since the breakout of the COVID‐19 pandemic in 2019. This mixed‐method study examines the relationship between online learning self‐efficacy and online self‐regulation of preparatory class English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners to provide a picture of the learners' perspective regarding the online segment of the hybrid education system that was in effect during the mentioned era, to provide deeper insights regarding learner perceptions during such times of emergency. Turkish adaptations of the Online‐Learning Self‐Efficacy Scale and Online Self‐regulated Learning Questionnaire were utilized as data collection instruments. To validate and expand the content of quantitative findings, semi‐structured interviews were conducted with a selected group of participants. The findings reveal that preparatory year Turkish EFL learners perceive themselves to be self‐efficacious and self‐regulated at a satisfactory level in online learning environments. The study provides insight into the learners' perceptions during this period and contributes to filling a significant gap within the field as well as offering new perspectives in case we face similar conditions in the future.

A Study of English Language Learning Anxiety and Teaching Strategies: The Context of Saudi Arabia

This study aims to explore learning anxiety related to the English language and review specific coping strategies to develop and propose certain teaching strategies for the students in the preparatory year at the English Language Institute (ELI) studying at the University of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This study also looks into the most dominating causes of Anxiety encountered by students and perceived by experienced English instructors in Saudi Arabia. The research questions are: What are the factors affecting the level of Anxiety among the target learners, and how can teachers cope with them to a great extent? An interview schedule was utilized for teachers to address the research questions. In addition, Self-rating questionnaires adapted and modified from the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS), which Horwitz and Cope (1986) developed, were used as the instruments of the study. Based on the mixed method of analysis, it is revealed that a lot of students faced considerable levels of English language learning anxiety, corresponding to the fear of negative feedback/response and evaluation by many stakeholders. Appropriate coping strategies can accordingly be suggested to make teaching fruitful.

Investigating EFL Students’ Perspectives of the Influence of Podcasts on Enhancing Listening Proficiency

Listening is widely regarded as the predominant language proficiency utilized in virtually all forms of communication. However, its intricacies often engender feelings of complexity and, at times, provoke anxiety and frustration among both foreign and second-language learners. The enhancement of successful communication fundamentally hinges upon the precise comprehension of spoken messages. In this quantitative investigation, the present study delves into the perceptions of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students concerning the utilization of podcasts as a tool to cultivate and bolster their listening proficiency. The study cohort comprised female university students enrolled in a preparatory year program. The examination of attitudes toward podcasts was conducted via a survey questionnaire. The findings unveiled that most participants derived enjoyment from utilizing podcasts, which in turn catalyzed their enthusiasm for English language acquisition. Additionally, they conceded that podcasts held promise in augmenting their linguistic abilities, with a primary focus on listening comprehension. These outcomes posit that podcasting serves as a medium with significant implications for students’ learning trajectories, particularly regarding the acquisition of listening proficiencies.

Reasons for academic cheating in a cohort of nursing students in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study.

This cross-sectional study investigated the reasons behind academic cheating in a cohort of nursing students in Saudi Arabia. The study involved 482 nursing students from two government universities in Riyadh. We used a newly developed self-reported questionnaire called the Reasons for Cheating Scale (RCS) to collect data. The highest-scoring reasons for academic cheating in the study population included the desire to obtain high grades, encouragement from friends to cheat, and the perception that exams were too difficult. Male students scored significantly higher than female students for reasons such as not understanding the course material, unclear test questions and instructions, pressure from families to excel, difficulty of the course material, and ignorance of effective study methods (P < 0.05). Age also had a role, as students aged 15-20 years had significantly higher scores for the item "Exams are too hard", whereas those aged ≥25 years had higher scores for "Difficulty of the course material" (P < 0.05). Additionally, students in the preparatory year had significantly higher scores than those in other years for reasons such as difficult exams, unclear test questions and instructions, fear of failing, difficulty of the course material, and the desire to please their families (P < 0.05). Overall, the desire to obtain high grades emerged as the main reason for academic cheating in our cohort of nursing students in Saudi Arabia. The findings suggest that sociodemographic characteristics, including sex, age, and academic year, should be considered when addressing the issue of cheating among nursing students.

An Investigation Into EFL Learners’ Electronic Feedback Practices During the Coronavirus Pandemic: Support and Challenges

Previous research has suggested that e-feedback mechanisms are widely misunderstood, difficult to perform efficiently, and often need to fulfill expectations to affect student performance substantially (Carless &amp; Boud, 2018). To better understand EFL learners’ e-feedback practices, this study aimed to provide a comprehensive picture of EFL learners’ e-feedback practices throughout the pandemic in the general preparatory year college at Majmaah University. This paper employed a quantitative method. More specifically, this study reports student responses to the e-questionnaire, which investigated the impact of e-feedback on students’ academic performance and the challenges these EFL learners face typically caused by e-feedback practices. The findings suggest that the EFL students received considerable technical support from the university through Blackboard training sessions. Also, they had instructors’ support regarding immediate, timely, and detailed e-feedback on all tasks, quizzes, and tests via various electronic tools. The study revealed the most important factors affecting students’ performance, such as engaging in discussions, comprehending feedback, utilizing e-feedback, aligning e-feedback with learning goals, using the instructor’s expertise in delivering suitable feedback, and employing effective learning strategies. Furthermore, the data showed that the students have the following challenges: difficulties logging into the Blackboard platform regularly due to network issues, needing to be informed about the importance of e-feedback, and lack of motivation to use e-feedback.

ESOL Student’s Portfolio Writing Practice: Studying Corrective Feedback With Formative Assessment to Enhance L2 Outcomes in Saudi Arabia

Corrective Feedback with Formative Assessment (CFFA) could be a vital component in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). It is a coherent approach to enhance ESOL students' writing skills. The aim of this study is to analyze heterogenous outlines, quantitative congeniality, and the effectiveness of WF (Written Feedback) with one-on-one corrections. The EFL writing portfolios include the CFP (Corrective Feedback Planning), WFD (Writing the First Draft), and EFD (Evaluating and Improving the First Draft). It also includes using the CFFA to teach EFL skills based on various modules of authentic ESOL course material selected for teaching at the lower-to-elementary levels of ESOL learning students. The quantitative data from simultaneous questionnaires affirmed the efficacy and relevance of CFFA with the students' composition of descriptive and expository texts within the Preparatory Year English writing courses at three different campuses of a university in Saudi Arabia. 351 students from various groups and individual instructors in charge of the RW (Reading and Writing) courses responded to correlated questionnaires, and task outlines were collected for stylistic analysis. Besides being an effective teaching practice, CFFA involves an informal instructor-student exchange and written remarks. Although not summative, they aim to enhance students' writing skills. The students merely perceived their errors as part of the recurrent practice required in the elaborate but formulaic methodology of the instructional techniques of EFL writing. In turn, the absence of summative grading reduced student anxiety. The results demonstrated that the well-defined written CFFA aligns with students' levels and course objectives.

Jerusalemite Students: Challenges in Israeli-Occupied Higher Education Institutions

An educational system has the potential to uplift occupied societies, yet it can also serve as a “soft” weapon prolonging ignorance, particularly when under the control of an occupying force catering to a minority, as seen in Jerusalem. This study aimed to explore the challenges and discriminatory practices encountered by Palestinian students from Jerusalem as a minority within Israeli-occupied higher education institutions. Utilising a descriptive design, qualitative data were obtained by surveying the experiences of 23 Jerusalemite students studying in Israeli colleges through online open-ended questions. The gathered data underwent content analysis, revealing themes that were grouped into challenges and types of apartheid acts faced by the participating students. The findings exposed numerous challenges, including cultural, academic, political, and financial hurdles, along with issues related to enrolment policies, acceptance examinations, the preparatory year, and facility provisions. Additionally, the study revealed various discriminatory acts experienced by Palestinian Jerusalemite students within Israeli higher education.

Aspecte privind predarea limbii române ca limbă străină studenților care provin din zone de conflict

This article deals with the analysis and interpretation of some aspects on teaching Romanian to students coming from conflict zones. The applications will be based on the author’s experience at the so-called Preparatory Year organized by the Faculty of Letters at the University of Bucharest. The main objective of this article is, on the one hand, to provide instructors of Romanian as a foreign language with a new approach, and, on the other hand, with reinterpreted methods already existing in the didactics and pedagogy of foreign language teaching, so that the teaching process be as efficient as possible, and the linguistic and cultural integration of these students coming from conflict zones be as natural as possible. At the same time, we admit and reaffirm that the learning-teaching process involves permanent adjusting and readjusting to certain realities that go beyond the classroom, and latest pedagogies from a certain point in time can become inapplicable and noncompliant with the reality at a really fast pace.

Dropping/Withdrawing Semesters among Preparatory Year Engineering Students at King Abdulaziz University, KSA

Dropping/drawing semesters in all academic institutions and the faculty of engineering in KAU/KSA becomes a very common phenomenon recently. This issue threatens time to graduation and delay students plans to finish and get jobs and start their life after graduation successfully. To study this phenomenon, the researchers chose all preparatory year engineering university students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a population and 100 students from the faculty of engineering at King Abdulaziz University as a sample. This study investigates the reasons behind dropping/withdrawing semesters. To this end the researcher designed a sixteen-item questionnaire and distributed it to the preparatory engineering students at KAU. The findings of the study revealed different reasons behind dropping/withdrawing semesters. These reasons fall under three categories: academic, managerial, and social. According to the respondents, the social reasons were the most influential compared to other reasons. The study recommends that the university reconsiders some polices to make the students’ university life enjoying and more relaxing.

The Relationship between Group Dynamics and Learners’ Willingness to Communicate amongst Female EFL Students in a Saudi University

The willingness to communicate (WTC) is of significant importance to the development of communication in second language learning. The present study investigated the relationship between group dynamics (GD) and learners’ WTC. A mixed-methods approach involving a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews was utilized to collect data. The participants were 256 female preparatory year students from the science track at a public university in Saudi Arabia. Eight of these students also participated in the interviews. The findings revealed that there was a significant positive correlation between learners’ perceived WTC and GD. Moreover, the perceived WTC of learners from level 1 was significantly different from that of learners from levels 2 and 3. The qualitative analysis revealed a set of GD factors that influence the participants’ WTC. These factors were organized into three main themes that included nine subthemes. These themes are classmates-related factors, classroom environment factors, and teacher-related factors. The study also suggested some potential implications that can increase GD, which can contribute to enhancing learners’ WTC.

Vocabulary learning strategies of university students: The case of preparatory year students and English major students

Vocabulary-learning strategies play an important role in English language learning and acquisition. This study investigates the vocabulary learning strategies (VLSs) that university students use while they learn new words. It is an attempt to figure out whether VLSs differ across university levels. A 5-Likert scale vocabulary learning strategies-questionnaire and a semi-structured interview administered to 82 university learners (namely, 52 first-year English major male (EFL), and 32 Preparatory Year Deanship learners (PYD)). The results showed that EFL learners and PYD learners approximately share the same number of VLSs, yet the frequent use of their strategies is different. While EFL learners mostly use metacognitive strategies in learning new words, PYD learners use determination strategies most frequently. The results indicated that enrichment of the mental lexicon and autonomy in language learning are the main reasons for using some VLSs. Besides, the main reason for not using some VLSs is the unfamiliarity with those VLSs.