Vocabulary Learning Strategies Questionnaire Research Articles

Exploring the Effects of Metacognitive Strategies on Vocabulary Learning of Japanese Junior High School Students

Vocabulary learning strategies (VLS) play a crucial role in L2 vocabulary education. Although it is assumed that metacognitive VLS are effective, few studies have empirically investigated this assumption. This paper, therefore, conducted a study in order to establish a comprehensive taxonomy of metacognitive VLS and explored the relationship between the use of metacognitive VLS and vocabulary knowledge. A vocabulary size test and a VLS questionnaire were administered to 132 Japanese junior high school students. The data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis and multiple regression analysis. The results showed a total of 20 metacognitive VLS and categorized them into six. Among the six metacognitive VLS, input seeking was a positive predictor of test scores at any frequency level, while spaced learning, guessing with confidence, and note making varied in effectiveness depending on word frequency. These results suggest it is important to encourage students to learn vocabulary outside the classroom, teach basic affix knowledge, and facilitate students in making vocabulary notebooks.

An Empirical Study on Vocabulary Learning Strategies by Jordanian FFL University Students

Abstract This study explores the use of Vocabulary Learning Strategies (VLSs) by Jordanian undergraduate students majoring French as a Foreign Language (FFL) at Jordanian universities. The vocabulary learning strategies (Memory, Determination, Social, Cognitive, and Metacognitive) were used in this study following Schmitt’s taxonomy. A five-point Likert-scale questionnaire containing 37 items adapted from Schmitt’s (1997) Vocabulary Learning Strategies Questionnaire (VLSQ) administered to 840 FFL undergraduates randomly selected from seven Jordanian universities. The descriptive analysis showed that the participants of the study regardless of their year of study were medium strategy users overall. The results revealed that Memory strategies were the most frequently employed strategies, whereas the Social strategies were the least frequently used ones. Although the participants were medium strategy users, the results of the VLSQ disclosed that some individual strategies were employed at a high level. Accordingly, detecting these strategies will be beneficial to language instructors to improve effective vocabulary teaching techniques and to motivate language learners to use them more frequently.

An Analysis of the Relationship among EFL Learners’ Autonomy, Self-esteem, and Choice of Vocabulary Learning Strategies

This study seeks to determine whether any significant relationship exists among EFL learners’ autonomy (LA), self-esteem (SE), and choice of vocabulary learning strategies (VLS) as well as whether LA and SE are predictors of these strategies. To achieve these aims, this study employed a descriptive research design. Participants included 157 male and female undergraduate EFL learners, all within the age range of 17 to 25 years. They were studying English within the sub-disciplines of English Literature, Linguistics, and General English. Participants were administered the following three types of questionnaires adapted by the researcher: a) a 30-item VLS questionnaire based on that of Schmitt taxonomy (1997); b) a 30-item LA questionnaire developed by Sakai, et al. (2008); c) and a 30-item SE questionnaire based on Coopersmith’s SE inventory (1967). Upon conducting preliminary analyses of this study’s assumptions, the characteristics of the data were proven legitimate via correlation and regression analyses. Correlation analysis demonstrated that a statistically significant relationship existed between EFL learners’ autonomy and VLS, with (r = .555, p < .05), and SE and VLS, with (r = .678 p < .05). Furthermore, regression analysis revealed LA and SE to be significant predictors of VLS. LA predicted 30.7% of scores in the choice of VLS (R = .555, R2 = .307), and SE predicted 45.9% of scores in the choice of VLS (R = .678, R2 = .456). These findings demonstrate that both LA and SE make strong contributions to VLS.

Vocabulary Learning Strategies Used by Junior High School Students

In language learning, mastery of vocabulary is crucial. However, in Indonesia, where English is taught as a foreign language, vocabulary is often taught incidentally and given little priority. Due to the importance of vocabulary, a comprehensive language learning strategy is needed. As an example, vocabulary-learning strategies (VLS) can facilitate the development of vocabulary. This study aims at investigating VLS used by junior high school students in learning English. The data were collected by using Schmitts vocabulary learning strategies questionnaire. The questionnaire consists of 31 statements administered to 50 junior high school students in the 8th grade at SMP N I Salatiga. Interviews were also conducted to obtain more information from the participants. The results show that the students choose practical, simple and fast strategies in learning vocabulary. Strategies such as checking if the word is also an Indonesian word, guessing the words meaning from the context, asking the teacher to give the definition, studying the word with their classmates, remembering the word by studying and paying attention to the words spelling, underlining the word, and using English media were frequently chosen in this study.

The Use of Vocabulary Learning Strategies by Pre-Diploma Students at UiTM

The study investigates the vocabulary learning strategies (VLS) used by Mengubah Destini Anak Bangsa (MDAB) pre-diploma students at the Machang Campus of Universiti Teknologi MARA Kelantan (UiTMCK). For this purpose, a Vocabulary Learning Strategies Questionnaire (VLSQ) based on Schmitt’s (1997) Vocabulary Learning Strategies Taxonomy was administered to 76 MDAB pre-diploma students. The findings revealed that the students were medium users of VLS who used metacognitive strategies most frequently and cognitive strategies least frequently. The findings also revealed that there was no significant difference in the use of VLS among the male and female students. However, the results of Independent Samples T-test in the use of individual items for all VLS categories revealed significant difference in the mean scores of several strategies.

VOCABULARY LEARNING STRATEGY USE AMONG EFL UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN VIETNAM

<p><em>Abstract:</em> This study examined the use of vocabulary learning strategies (VLS) among EFL university students in Vietnam. The research involved 213 EFL university students, 61 second year students and 152 third year students at Vinh University. The study used mixed methods, including Schmitt (1997)’s VLS questionnaire, learners’ diaries and interviews. Results indicated that cognitive strategies were the most frequently used and social strategies, which are used to consolidate new words, are the least frequently used ones. The data from diaries and interviews also showed that there is a lack of organized practice of vocabulary learning among the participants. Some pedagogical implications are discussed and suggested for English vocabulary teaching</p><p>Key words: vocabulary learning strategies, vocabulary learning, EFL university students</p>

Vocabulary Learning Strategies Used by Medical Students: Croatian Perspective

<p>In order to be able to fully develop their academic and professional competencies, medical doctors (MDs) need to be highly proficient in English, which, among other things, implies the acquisition of vocabulary as an essential part of language knowledge. The current study aims at exploring vocabulary learning strategies (VLS) employed by freshman and sophomore medical students at the University of Split School of Medicine, Croatia. In particular, it focuses on (a) most and least frequently used VLS; (b) relationship between VLS subscales and different types of vocabulary knowledge; (c) differences in the mean strategy use between male and female students, and among low-, middle- and high-scoring students. The instruments used in the research were adapted version of the VLS Questionnaire (Pavičić Takač, 2008, p.152) and a vocabulary test designed by the author. The results indicate that medical students use a core inventory of VLS, whereby showing preference for the category of self-initiated vocabulary learning (SI-IVL) strategies and some individual formal vocabulary learning (FVL) and spontaneous vocabulary learning (SVL) strategies. Although students were not in favour of FVL at the level of the category as a whole, the results showed that the more frequently they employed FVL strategies, the better they scored on vocabulary tasks measuring controlled-productive type of vocabulary knowledge. Correlations revealed that female students used SI-IVL and FVL strategies significantly more often than their male counterparts. Results also suggest that there are no statistically significant differences in the mean VLS use among low-, middle- and high-scoring students. In conclusion, the results of this study provide a preliminary insight into the VLS used by medical students and their effect on students' vocabulary learning outcomes as well as into differences by gender and vocabulary proficiency. Since findings have proved rather inconclusive, these research questions need to be further investigated.</p>

Vocabulary Learning Strategies and Vocabulary Size: Insights from Educational Level and Learner Styles

This study investigates the effect of different vocabulary learning strategies (VLS) as well as different learner styles on vocabulary size in Saudi Arabic-speaking students in higher education. The goals of this study were to examine which VLS undergraduates used more frequently than postgraduates and vice versa, to determine which VLS related positively and significantly to vocabulary size, and to explore individual learner styles and their relationship to vocabulary size. Participants filled in a VLS questionnaire and completed a vocabulary size test. The results indicated that undergraduates tended to use simpler strategies than postgraduates. The strategies of guessing a word’s meaning from context and watching television related positively with vocabulary size in both groups. Clustering analysis revealed two learner groups which differed in how frequently they used VLS overall, rather than in terms of which VLS they preferred. Those students who used more VLS overall also had larger vocabulary sizes, irrespective of educational level. We thus found no evidence for differences in individual learner styles in the current groups. We conclude that VLS usage should be encouraged overall, but that the need for instructors to cater to individual vocabulary learning styles may not be warranted.

Vocabulary Learning Strategies Employed by Undergraduate EFL Jordanian Students

<p>The present study investigates the various vocabulary learning strategies (VLSs) used by undergraduate Jordanian students majoring English Language and Literature in Jordanian universities. The five categories of the vocabulary learning strategies (Memory, Determination, Social, Cognitive, and Metacognitive) were used in this study following Schmitt’s taxonomy. For this purpose, a questionnaire containing forty items selected from Schmitt’s (1997) Vocabulary Learning Strategies Questionnaire (VLSQ) was administered to a pool of 110 Jordanian students majoring in English Language and Literature from eight Jordanian universities. This testing instrument was used to reveal the types of vocabulary learning strategies used by the participants, to discover the most and least frequently used VLS employed by them, and to know the main patterns of variation of the participants’ choice of VLSs if they are high, medium, or low VLS users. The descriptive analysis of the study showed that Jordanian EFL learners were “medium” strategy users overall. With regard to strategy categories, the results revealed that Memory strategies were the most frequently employed by them and Metacognitive strategies were the least frequently used strategies among them. Although the participants were medium strategy users, the results of the VLSQ revealed that some individual strategies were employed at a low level. This result leads to adopt the learners’ individual vocabulary learning strategy as an important variable in future research. The findings of this study will be advantageous to language instructors to improve effective vocabulary teaching techniques and curriculum designers to provide learners with preferable vocabulary learning strategies.</p>

Building Vocabulary for Language Learning: Approach for ESL Learners to Study New Vocabulary

This project investigated Vocabulary Learning Strategies (VLSs) English Language Learners used; and strategies they thought were effective to them in terms of language proficiency. Using an online survey, 121 participants responded to statements regarding their usage of VLSs. Participants have been divided into two groups: (1) learners with low English proficiency level and (2) learners with high English proficiency level to measure the significance between them in response to the VLS questionnaire. The analysis measured five sets of vocabulary knowledge: building synonyms network, learning definition(s) with contexts, pronunciation process, bookmark word search, and remembering strategy for writing. This project determined that the group with high language proficiency agreed more on the items selected than those with low language proficiency.

A process-focused learning model for L2 vocabulary acquisition

This study aims to identify essential stages involved in vocabulary learning by constructing, implementing and validating a process-focused learning model using structural equation modelling (SEM). In this model, successful vocabulary learning goes through four sequential stages: perceiving the word form; accessing the word meaning; mapping the word form with meaning; using the word. A vocabulary learning strategy questionnaire was developed based on the model and administered to more than 300 Chinese university students; the model was satisfactorily tested using the SEM technique. The empirical findings provide further insights into our understanding of the complex nature of vocabulary acquisition which forms a systematic learning loop. A number of learning and teaching implications were drawn accordingly to enhance L2 vocabulary acquisition and vocabulary learning strategy training programmes.

Iranian EFL Learners’ and Teachers’ Beliefs About the Usefulness of Vocabulary Learning Strategies

Vocabulary is an important part of language which is central to all language skills and meaningful communication. One way through which vocabulary learning can be facilitated is by the use of vocabulary learning strategies (VLS). VLSs can empower language learners to be more self-directed, regulated, and autonomous. Also, they can help language learners to discover and consolidate the meaning of the words more effectively. Teachers’ and students’ behavior, functioning, and learning are, however, controlled by their thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, and perceptions. The present study was an effort to explore the Iranian EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners’ and teachers’ beliefs about the usefulness of different types of VLSs. To that end, a VLS questionnaire developed for this purpose was given to 392 EFL teachers and learners. Based on the results of the study, the Iranian EFL learners and teachers believed that strategies such as paying attention to vocabulary forms, functions, and semantic relations; guessing the meaning of new words from the context; and using monolingual dictionaries can be very useful in discovering and consolidating the meaning of new words. They, nevertheless, expressed hesitancy to use L1, bilingual dictionaries, and mnemonic devices. The results of Kruskal–Wallis Test also showed that the preference for a few strategies differed across levels of education.

Engineering and Humanities Students' Strategies for Vocabulary Acquisition: An Iranian Experience

The present study set out to investigate the differences between EAP (English for Academic Purposes) students of Humanities and Engineering in terms of vocabulary strategy choice and use. One hundred and five undergraduate Iranian students (39 students from Engineering Faculty and 66 from Humanities Faculty) studying at Bu-Ali Sina University Hamedan, during the academic year of 2011–2012 participated in this study. For data collection purposes, a pilot-tested factor-analyzed five-point Likert-scale vocabulary learning strategies questionnaire (VLSQ) containing 45 statements was adopted. The results of independent samples t-test indicated that, overall, the two groups were not significantly different in the choice and use of vocabulary learning strategies. However, running Chi square analyses, significant differences were found in individual strategy use in 6 out of 45 strategies. That is, while Humanities students used more superficial and straightforward strategies like repetition strategy and seeking help from others, the Engineering students preferred much deeper, thought-provoking and sophisticated strategies like using a monolingual dictionary and learning vocabulary through collocations and coordinates. Further, the most and the least frequently used vocabulary learning strategies by the two groups were specified, out of which only two strategies in each category were commonly shared by both groups. The possible reasons why the results have turned out to be so as well as the implications of the study are discussed in details in the paper.

Vocabulary Learning Strategies of Thai University Students and Its Relationship to Vocabulary Size

The present study aimed to investigate vocabulary learning strategies employed by Thai university students. The relationship between the students’ vocabulary learning strategies and their vocabulary size was also explored. The subjects of this study were 257 Prince of Songkla University students in the 6 fields of study: medicine, dentistry, nursing, engineering, accounting, hospitality and tourism which will be highly affected by the forthcoming ASEAN Economy Community (AEC) in 2015. The research data were obtained from 2 instruments: the vocabulary learning strategy questionnaire and the bilingual English-Thai version of vocabulary size test. The study revealed that the subjects slightly employed the overall vocabulary learning strategies. Out of 39 vocabulary learning strategies, the subjects employed 2 strategies at a high level, 18 strategies at a moderate level, and 19 strategies at a low level. The subjects’ use of the overall vocabulary learning strategies was moderately correlated with their vocabulary size. Seventeen vocabulary learning strategies were correlated with their vocabulary size at a moderate degree while the rest at a low degree.

The Use of Dictionary and Contextual Guessing Strategies for Vocabulary Learning by Advanced English-Language Learners

The present study provides insight into the use of dictionaries and contextual guessing by advanced English-language learners. This report identifies dictionary use and contextual guessing strategies used by these learners most often and least often. Participants were 100 international graduate students at a large southwestern U.S. university who completed a vocabulary learning strategy questionnaire. The results indicated that these learners consulted a dictionary most often to find out the pronunciation of a new word and least often to learn the frequency of use and appropriate usage of an unknown word. Participants most often based their guesses of a word’s meaning from the paragraph’s main ideas and background information. Using the meaning of individual parts of an unfamiliar compound word (such as note-book) and the part of speech of a new word were the least-used guessing strategies.

The Relationship between Spiritual Intelligence and Vocabulary Learning Strategies in EFL Learners

Spiritual intelligent or spiritual quotient refers to people's capacity to express, manifest, and represent spiritual resources, values, and properties to improve every day performance. Vocabulary learning strategies relates to any group of procedures which language learners apply to find the meaning of a new word, to keep in mind the knowledge of newly-learned word, and to develop one's vocabulary .This paper investigates the relationship between EFL learners’ spiritual intelligence (SI) and their use of vocabulary learning strategies. The aim of the study was to determine how these two constructs correlate with each other. To this end, 120 EFL students from Public University of Shiraz and Islamic Azad University of Shiraz took part in vocabulary learning strategy questionnaire (Schmitt's, 2001) and the Spiritual Intelligence Self-Report Inventory (King, 2008) questionnaires. The obtained results indicated a statistically significant relationship between SI and vocabulary learning strategies. The results of multiple regressions showed that there was a significant correlation between all SI subscales and metacognitive strategies and social strategies. The results also showed that males with their higher scores in vocabulary learning strategies usage and are significantly superior to females. Also females are superior to males and they have higher spiritual intelligence scores.

Creativity and Its Relationship with Vocabulary Learning Strategy Use of EFL Students

The relationship between SLA and individual differences has been investigated by many scholars and examining the psychological variables, one of which is creativity, seems to be a trend. The number of studies on vocabulary learning strategies (VLS) is much more than the size of research on the relationship between psychological factors and such strategies. The present study takes a step toward the clarification of whether the psychological parameter of creativity plays any significant role in the use of VLS by EFL students. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the relationship between Iranian EFL students’ creativity and their use of vocabulary learning strategies. Also, there is an attempt to find out if gender plays any role in this relationship. For measuring the creativity of a group of 101 medical students at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS), the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (Torrance, 1990) was conducted. Subsequently a VLS questionnaire (Jones, 2006) was given to the participants to identify their VLS employment. The results revealed that the participants possessed a high level of creativity but there was no significant difference in this regard according to gender. A significant correlation was found between creativity and the overall VLS use of female students, but not for males. However, the correlation observed between creativity and the overall VLS use of the participants was statistically significant in general.

The Relationship between Iranian EFL Learners Rote Learning Strategy Use and Their Level of Proficiency

The purpose of this study was to investigate the Iranian EFL learner’s rote learning (RL) strategy use among vocabulary learning strategies. It also intended to find out whether the students' level of L2 proficiency would affect the pattern of their rote learning strategy use. To conduct the study, fifty Iranian EFL learners, studying English at the private language institute, were selected to participate in the experiment, and then, they were divided into low and high intermediate levels based on their scores on FCE test. Two instruments were used to collect the needed data, i.e., a vocabulary learning strategy questionnaire, a vocabulary test. The vocabulary learning strategy questionnaire and the vocabulary test were administered in two consecutive weeks and students completed them in the classroom. The results indicated that Iranian EFL learners used rote learning strategies more frequently than other categories of memory strategy. Besides, the results showed that there was some statistically significant difference between high and low-intermediate learners regarding their rote learning strategy use.

Vocabulary Learning Strategies and Vocabulary Size of ELT Students at EMU in Northern Cyprus

This research study aimed at exploring the relationship between vocabulary learning strategies and vocabulary size of 125 undergraduate English Language Teaching students at Eastern Mediterranean University. This research study was a correlational survey study of descriptive nature. The major findings of this study were as follows. First, the findings indicated that most of the ELT students adequately operated the psycholinguistic strategies, whereas somewhat adequately the metacognitive strategies. Next, the ELT students reportedly had a somewhat average vocabulary size to cope with advanced studies at the university level. Finally, this study found no relationship between the psycholinguistic strategy and the vocabulary size of the participants, and the relationships between the metacognitive strategy and the vocabulary size, as well as the vocabulary learning strategy questionnaire and the vocabulary size of the participants were negligible. The findings also revealed that students did not operate certain strategies, rather a variety of strategies.

Frequency of Use, Perceived Usefulness, and Actual Usefulness of Second Language Vocabulary Strategies: A Study of Hong Kong Learners

This study is the largest scale project ever conducted in Hong Kong concerning the learning of English vocabulary by Cantonese speakers. The aims of the project were threefold: (a) to find out the vocabulary size of the tertiary students and whether they need help with academic vocabulary, (b) to identify the strategies that are conducive to learning vocabulary in general and the strategies that are especially useful for learning high– and low–frequency words in particular, and (c) to look at the discrepancies among the frequency of use, the perceived usefulness, and the actual usefulness of vocabulary strategies. The participants in the study included 1,067 students who had recently been offered places by the 7 local institutions of higher education. A vocabulary test and a vocabulary learning strategy questionnaire were used for data collection. Whereas in an earlier work (Fan, 2001) the author reported the findings in relation to the first aim, this article focuses on the findings for the second and third aims. ANOVA and Multiple Regression were employed for data analysis. The results of the study shed light not only on the strategy profile of the Hong Kong learners in general but also on the complexity involved in strategy use. Strategies relevant to the learning of L2 vocabulary as well as high– and low–frequency words are identified, and their implications are thoroughly discussed.