Vocabulary Learning Strategies Research Articles

VOCABULARY LEARNING STRATEGIES USED BY MALE AND FEMALE LEARNERS OF HIGHER INTERMEDIATE LEVEL

Abstract
 This recent study focuses on the use of vocabulary learning strategies (VLSs). Nevertheless, in this study the subject was categorized based on gender (male and female). This study aims to identify vocabulary learning strategies employed by female and male learner in learning new vocabularies. The method of this study is qualitative. The participants are 10 male learners and 10 female learners of higher intermediate level at LBPP LIA Solo. The data were collected using vocabulary learning strategy questionnaires (VLSQs), interview, documentations, and test. The data collected were analyzed qualitatively. The research finding showed that female learners tend to use more vocabulary learning strategies than male did. In addition, the most vocabulary learning strategies used by female learners were dictionary strategies and memory strategy: rehearsal as the least vocabulary learning strategies used. Meanwhile, male learners indicated to use guessing strategies more often and note-taking strategy rarely.
 
 Keywords : VLSs, Higher Intermediate Level, Male Learners, Female Learners.

Recognizing The Children English Vocabulary Input Through Internet

It cannot be denied that children nowadays are very familiar with Internet. They mostly use internet connection for playing games rather than supporting their school assignments. Most online games the children play are imported from abroad so that language used is mostly English. As a result, children frequently pick up many English words from the game naturally. The present study is the continuous study of the vocabulary learning strategy mapping among 28 primary school students on grade 5 using the VOLSQUES survey. From the survey, the researcher found that 29% respondents chose internet as the source of their English vocabulary input. Started from this finding, the researcher continue the study by conducting descriptive qualitative research on those 29% respondents. The focus is on recognizing the Internet content commonly the respondents use and type of English vocabulary input they gain. All the respondents admit that they frequently play online games, especially the Mobile Legend game. The interesting result is that the participants are mostly unable to read and write the English words they recognize from the game correctly. This is understandable since the children listen from the game narrators. Besides, the typical English words they acquire are instructions.

Exploring the effect of lexical inferencing and dictionary consultation on undergraduate EFL students' vocabulary acquisition.

This study compares how lexical inferencing and dictionary consultation affect L2 vocabulary acquisition. Sixty-one L1 Arabic undergraduates majoring in English language read target words in semi-authentic English reading materials and were either asked to guess their meaning or look it up in a dictionary. A pre- and delayed post-test measured participants' knowledge of target words and overall vocabulary size. The results show a significant and comparable learning effect for both vocabulary learning strategies (VLS), with a higher pre-test vocabulary size related to a larger learning effect for both VLS. In addition, the better participants were at guessing correctly, the better they learned words through inferencing. The results suggest that both VLS are equally effective for our learner group and that learners' overall vocabulary size influences the amount of learning that occurs when using these VLS.

Effects of Language Skills and Strategy Use on Vocabulary Learning Through Lexical Translation and Inferencing

This study explores how vocabulary learning strategy usage and skills in the four language domains relate to participants’ increase in vocabulary size and to the learning of specific vocabulary items over a certain period of time. Sixty-one advanced L1 Arabic L2 learners of English read target words in semi-authentic reading materials and were instructed to either guess the meaning from context or consult a dictionary. Pre- and delayed post-tests assessed vocabulary size and knowledge of the target vocabulary items. Results showed that learning through inferencing, but not learning through dictionary use, depended on learners’ familiarity with the particular learning strategy. Additionally, note taking and reading comprehension influenced lexical knowledge and acquisition in complex ways.

English

It does not seem to be possible to teach all the words needed by learners of Turkish as a foreign language in the target language just through classroom applications. Thus, students should be taught vocabulary learning strategies that will contribute to their independent learning and raise their awareness of vocabulary learning processes. In this regard, the purpose of the current study is to develop a scale to determine the vocabulary learning strategies used by learners of Turkish as a foreign language. The data of the current study were collected from a total of 507 students attending Turkish teaching centres in five different cities of Turkey. In the development of the scale, all stages of scale development process were followed and then the required reliability calculations were performed. On the basis of the scores obtained from the scale, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to test the construct validity of the scale. As a result of the factor analysis, it was found that the scale consists of four factors that are “learning process”, “technological material”, “psychological process” and “visual materials” and its Cronbach Alpha internal consistency value was calculated to be 0.86. After the completion of all the stages of scale development, a 23-item scale whose psychometric features had been examined was developed to be used to determine students’ vocabulary learning strategies.   Key words: Teaching Turkish as a foreign language, vocabulary learning strategies scale, vocabulary, word.   &nbsp

Vocabulary Learning Strategies and their Relation to Vocabulary Size in Saudi Female Undergraduate EFL Learners

It is generally agreed in the field of Foreign Language Learning (FLL) that Vocabulary Learning Strategies (VLSs) are a subcategory of the more general Language Learning Strategies (LLSs). Research into LLSs began based on the belief that language aptitude was not the only determinant factor of language achievement, and that the learners’ own learning effort and the way they approach language learning also played a major role. The purpose of this study is to investigate VLS use of Saudi female undergraduate EFL learners in each stage of the Vocabulary Learning Process (VLP) and its relation to their vocabulary size. The study population consisted of female students enrolled in the final year of the undergraduate English language program in an English department in a Saudi university. Forty-one students participated in this study, and two data collection instruments were used. The first instrument was a frequency of use questionnaire designed based on the learning process-oriented taxonomy of VLSs. The second was a Vocabulary Size Test. The analyses show that the participants used 17 strategies with a high frequency in all the stages of the VLP except for Stages Four and Six. The analyses also show that the most frequently used strategies were mainly cognitive strategies (nine strategies) and metacognitive strategies (five strategies). In terms of the relationship between the use of VLSs and vocabulary size, two strategies were found to be positively correlated with the participants’ vocabulary size. Interestingly, other strategies that are known to be effective in vocabulary learning were found to have a negative correlation with the participants’ vocabulary size.

An Exploratory Study into Vocabulary Learning Strategies Used by Saudi EFL learners

One of the utmost difficult aspects of language learning is vocabulary. Vocabulary learning has been of prime importance for over two decades. A wide vocabulary is essential for effective and useful communication. Therefore, understanding the strategies that language learners use to learn vocabulary is a matter of great importance. This study was carried out on a group of 219 Saudi learners of English so as to determine two things: first, what their uttermost preferable vocabulary learning strategies are, and second, whether there is a statistically significant disparity in the use of these vocabulary strategies due to gender. To these ends, a vocabulary learning strategies questionnaire devised by Schmitt (1997) and revised by Omaar (2016) that consisted of 42 items was utilised. The data from this questionnaire were analyzed with descriptive statistics, including standard deviations and means. Statistical analysis of the data collected showed high reliability (r-0.97, P<0.001). The findings pointed out that memory strategies were reported as most preferable by the subjects of study, subsequently determination, social, and metacognitive strategies. Cognitive strategies were reported to be the least preferable. The only statistically significant disparity due to gender was in the use of memory strategies, where P < 0.05; no other statistically significant disparities were found based on gender in the other types of strategies. Based on these findings, a list of pedagogical implications was suggested and several recommendations for further research were put forward.

Yabancı dil olarak İngilizce öğrenen Türk öğrencilerin biçimbirimsel gelişimleri ile sözcük öğrenme stratejileri arasindaki ilişki

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the most or the least preferred vocabulary learning strategies (VLS) by Turkish EFL learners and to examine the relationship between morphological mastery and VLS. The participants of the study consist of 102 Translation and Interpreting department students at a state university in Turkey. The measurement tools used in the study are Vocabulary Size Test (VST) (Nation, 2001) and Vocabulary Learning Strategies Questionnaire (VLSQ) (Gu, 2018). Before the questionnaire, VST was administered to the students to determine the vocabulary size levels of them. After the test, students were asked to answer the 5-point Likert type VLSQ. The results of the study were analyzed by SPSS programme using one-way ANOVA. According to the results, the most commonly used strategies by Turkish EFL learners in vocabulary learning are guessing and dictionary strategies. The least frequently used strategies are the use of word lists and visual repetition strategies in the rehearsal category. The results obtained from students who are classified as low, medium and high-level vocabulary size, show that the most frequently used strategies of high level students are selective attention, guessing strategies, dictionary strategies, notebook usage and note-taking (deciding what information goes into notes). In addition, while the vast majority of students think that it is necessary to learn words through use, they believe that memorization does not play an important role in vocabulary learning. This study tends to help English learners who have difficulty in choosing vocabulary learning strategies to get morphological mastery and to lead EFL teachers by showing the advantages of using different strategies for students.

The Effects of Cartoons on the Use of Vocabulary Learning Strategies: A Case in Turkish EFL Classes

The impetus behind the design of this current research is to check the influence of cartoons on vocabulary learning strategies of students who have been exposed to three classics from English literature, Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, and Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare. To that end, a vocabulary learning strategy test has been adopted in this quasi-experimental research which completely covers similar word units as in cartoons and hence aims to reveal favoured strategies of students besides clarifying the differences between the male and the female as well as three age groups, 10-19, 20-29 or 30 and elder. 20 randomly assigned participants working on extracts in plain texts without any comic strips were in control group, whereas 47 Turkish EFL students were in the experiment group reading cartoons in colour or black and white format. It was found out that the common vocabulary learning strategies that were used by the experimental group were determination and metacognitive strategies, whereas control group mainly adopted memory, social and metacognitive strategies. In terms of gender, the females practised determination and memory strategies, while the male students opted for social, metacognitive and cognitive strategies. Finally, 10-19 and 30 or elder subjects mostly utilized metacognitive and social strategies; however, the success of 20-29 year-old students centred around determination and memory strategies.

Perceived Importance, Use and Instruction of Vocabulary Learning Strategies from Students’ and Teachers’ Perspectives

This study aimed to unearth and compare students’ and teachers’ perspectives inrelation to the perceived importance, use and instruction of vocabulary learningstrategies (VLS). A total of 548 ninth grade students studying at ten differentAnatolian high schools in Antalya, Turkey and 56 English language teachersworking at these schools participated in the study. Data were collected by meansof a questionnaire based on Schmitt’s (1997) taxonomy of VLS. Following avalidation process and conducting confirmatory factor analysis, further statisticalanalysis was carried out. The results indicated that the students and teachers whoascribed a higher level of importance to VLS used and taught them to asignificantly larger extent. The study found no statistically significant differencebetween the levels of importance attached to the use and instruction of VLS by thestudents and teachers. However, teachers’ frequency of strategy instructionappeared to be significantly higher than students’ frequency of strategy use exceptfor cognitive strategies. Therefore, it was concluded that while teachers reportedactively teaching a wide variety of VLS, students implemented the strategies to amore limited extent. Based on the results, it was recommended to explore thereasons for this discrepancy between the students and teachers.

Vocabulary Knowledge and Learning Strategies of Senior High School Students

Vocabulary knowledge is crucial in the understanding of a material and in the development of the macro-skills, most especially reading. When reading, a person may overestimate or underestimate his/ her vocabulary knowledge, thinking that she/ he knows the meaning of words in the text. Also, to repair the lack of knowledge of a word in the text and to ensure comprehension, she/ he may use vocabulary-learning strategies (VLS). This basic qualitative study aimed to identify and compare the presumed vocabulary knowledge and actual vocabulary knowledge and the VLS of grade 12 students of Angeles City, Philippines. To answer research questions, the researchers used an expository reading text, a semi-structured interview guide, and a researcher-made vocabulary test as instruments. They also utilized descriptive statistics and inductive and thematic analysis of qualitative data. Findings of this study reveal that the participants' presumed vocabulary knowledge ranges from 57% to 97% of the self-reported unfamiliar words while their actual vocabulary knowledge ranges from 50% to 91%, which presumed vocabulary knowledge is higher than actual vocabulary knowledge, and that participants use eight VLS classified into themes. These results imply the need to enhance the curriculum, specifically on vocabulary, to facilitate learning of strategies and to provide more practice of the VLS through reading.

Tertiary Students’ Usage of Vocabulary Learning Strategies: A case study

Instructors often lament on students’ limited critical reading skills due to “vocabulary deficit.” Therefore, this study investigated the vocabulary size and vocabulary learning strategies of 120 ESL respondents in a tertiary institution in Malaysia. Data were collected using a vocabulary test, a questionnaire, and semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that the most favoured strategies were “determination strategies” which reflected respondents’ usage of shallow thinking while least favoured were “cognitive strategies” that demanded higher-level mental processing. No significant difference was recorded in strategy use based on gender. No relationship was found between the respondents’ vocabulary size and vocabulary learning strategies. Keywords: tertiary students; vocabulary learning strategies; vocabulary size. eISSN: 2398-4287 © 2020. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning &amp; Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v5iSI1.2318

Strategy Use in Second Language Vocabulary Learning and Its Relationships With the Breadth and Depth of Vocabulary Knowledge: A Structural Equation Modeling Study.

This study investigated Chinese English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) learners’ use of vocabulary learning strategies (VLSs) and its relationship with vocabulary knowledge (VK), especially in relation to proficiency, gender, and discipline. Structural equation models were established following exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) procedures, and mediation analyses and multiple-group analyses, as well as analyses of variance, were conducted. Four hundred nineteen sophomores’ strategy use frequency, Vocabulary Size Test (VST) scores (indicative of breadth of VK), Word Associates Test (WAT) scores (indicative of depth of VK), College English Test Band-4 scores, and gender and discipline categories were used as data. Proficiency significantly predicted Attention and Guessing positively but was a negative predictor of Socializing (asking others for help). Girls liked making notes while using dictionaries (DictNote) and Socializing, and students of arts also took more notes. Attention and Guessing significantly predicted VST and WAT positively, but Socializing significantly predicted the breadth and depth of VK negatively, and DictNote, Association, and Repetition had no significant relationship. The predictive power of Attention, Guessing, and Socializing, however, was achieved mainly, or for an important part, via the mediating or indirect effects of proficiency. Gender moderated the predictive power of Attention, Socializing, and DictNote over VST, greater for male students, whereas discipline moderated the relationship between Guessing and WAT, stronger for arts students. The findings are related to strategy features, gender characteristics, disciplinary influence, the EFL context and culture, and effective learning. This study reveals the complex relationships among use of VLSs, VK, and learner variables. Attention is called for to third-party factors in understanding VLSs–VK relationships. Given the important mediating effects of proficiency, it is proposed that vocabulary learning be strategically integrated into the accumulative process of English learning.

Examining the Use of Vocabulary Learning Strategies among EFL Learners in Baghlan University of Afghanistan

Vocabulary learning is one of the problems in language learning skills. Tackling such problems is to provide useful and effective strategies for enhancing students’ VLSs. Therefore, this study aims to survey vocabulary learning strategies (VLSs) utilized among English as a Foreign Language learners (EFL) in Baghlan University of Afghanistan, and to study the high and least frequently used VLSs that contributes to the learners’ vocabulary knowledge. This study utilizes a descriptive quantitative research method with 67 EFL learners who participated in the survey questionnaire adopted from Oxford (1990) taxonomy of VLS from different faculties of Baghlan University. The findings indicated that EFL learners preferably utilize VLSs at a medium level, and the highly used vocabulary learning strategies are the social strategies through which they ask the native speakers, teachers, and classmates for the meanings of new words in English language conversation. Determination, cognitive, and memory strategies are respectively followed by the learners. Whereas, metacognitive strategies are the least used strategies among EFL learners, the reason is that they only focus on the materials related to examination; explore anything about the new words for learning, and rarely think of their improvement in vocabulary learning.

INVESTIGATING THE IMPORTANCE LEVEL AND UTILIZATION OF VOCABULARY LEARNING STRATEGIES AMONG TURKISH

This study aims to investigate (a) the perceptions of 8th grade Turkish EFL learners regarding the importance and use of L2 vocabulary learning strategies (VLS), (b) to find out the relationship between perceived importance level and application level of VLS and (c) to unearth the most and the least frequently applied VLS by EFL learners in their learning processes. A mixed-method sequential explanatory design was adopted in this study. The quantitative data were collected through a questionnaire based on Schmitt's taxonomy of VLS from 398 participants and analyzed via SPSS; qualitative data were obtained from focus group interviews conducted with 45 volunteer participants and analyzed through thematic analysis. The findings indicated that EFL learners attribute a great level of significance to vocabulary learning. It also revealed that there is a significant relationship between importance and application level of VLS, which demonstrates that the strategies that were given most importance were applied on a larger scale by learners.&#x0D; &#x0D; Keywords: English Language Learning, Vocabulary Learning, Vocabulary Learning Strategies, Learner Perceptions.&#x0D; NB: Please note that the first author is Melek YOLCU.

Examining the Use of Vocabulary Learning Strategies among EFL Learners in Baghlan University of Afghanistan

Vocabulary learning is one of the problems in language learning skills. Tackling such problems is to provide useful and effective strategies for enhancing students’ VLSs. Therefore, this study aims to survey vocabulary learning strategies (VLSs) utilized among English as a Foreign Language learners (EFL) in Baghlan University of Afghanistan, and to study the high and least frequently used VLSs that contributes to the learners’ vocabulary knowledge. This study utilizes a descriptive quantitative research method with 67 EFL learners who participated in the survey questionnaire adopted from Oxford (1990) taxonomy of VLS from different faculties of Baghlan University. The findings indicated that EFL learners preferably utilize VLSs at a medium level, and the highly used vocabulary learning strategies are the social strategies through which they ask the native speakers, teachers, and classmates for the meanings of new words in English language conversation. Determination, cognitive, and memory strategies are respectively followed by the learners. Whereas, metacognitive strategies are the least used strategies among EFL learners, the reason is that they only focus on the materials related to examination; explore anything about the new words for learning, and rarely think of their improvement in vocabulary learning.

Longitudinal Effects of Mediums of Word Explanation on L2 Vocabulary Learning Strategies Among Chinese Grade-7 Students.

This longitudinal study investigated how different mediums of word explanation affected the use of English vocabulary strategies among Chinese Grade-7 students. 170 students were tested on their English receptive vocabulary size and vocabulary strategy application before and after an 8.33-month intervention. Students were divided into three experimental groups and one control group. The three experimental groups were provided with learning materials that explained the target vocabulary in three mediums, respectively: English-only, English-and-Chinese, and Chinese-only. Results showed that, after the intervention, receptive vocabulary size did not have any direct significant impact on vocabulary strategy development, whereas mediums of word explanation materials impacted students’ application of vocabulary learning strategies (VLS) in different ways. Our findings showed that the English-only mediums significantly enhanced students’ use of metacognition, cognition, and memorization strategies, but decreased social strategy development. Chinese-only mediums significantly facilitated cognition and memorization strategy development. Implications for L2 vocabulary education are discussed.

Exploring Vocabulary Learning Strategies Used by EFL Learners in the Supportive Studies in Turbah University College

This study aims at investigating the vocabulary learning strategies (VLSs) employed by supportive studies students of Turbah University College. The participants were 288 divided almost equally; males were 145 and females were 143. The study conducted in the 1st semester 2019/2020. Data was collected using a questionnaire adapted from Schmitt (1997) taxonomy. Data was analyzed with SPSS program, version 22. The results of this study demonstrated a changeable rate of using strategies in the five categories; determination, social, memory, cognitive and metacognitive. The overall mean score of strategies indicates a medium usage of strategies. Metacognitive and determination strategies were the most and the least used respectively. The results revealed statistically significant differences in the use of VLSs attributed to academic major; Arts students outperformed Science students in such use. The results also showed that female students were more active users of VLSs. However, no statistically significant differences in the use of VLSs attributed to gender factor.

Turkish as a foreign language learners’ use of vocabulary learning strategies

Learning a foreign language includes learning vocabulary together with language rules and using language skills by means of them. Words are presented to learners through teachers and coursebooks in educational processes. Yet, it is not possible to teach all the words through lessons, so learners are expected to become independent vocabulary learners. Learners can achieve this when they know and use the vocabulary learning strategies. To be able to support them in becoming independent vocabulary learners, teachers need to determine their level of strategy use and which strategies they use and examine if these differ according to different variables. For this reason, this study aims to determine the level of Turkish as a foreign language (TFL) learners’ use of vocabulary learning strategies. For this purpose, the data in this study designed by using survey model were collected from 169 students that learn TFL at A1, A2, B1, B2, and C1 levels. “Foreign Language Vocabulary Learning Strategies Scale” developed by Kocaman and Kizilkaya Cumaoglu (2014) was used as data collection tool. Frequencies, arithmetic means, and standard deviations were calculated, and t-test, ANOVA, and LSD tests were used for data analysis. As a result, the vocabulary learning strategies were identified and the level of TFL learners’ strategy use was determined. The data were tested to check if there were any statistically significant differences among variables: gender, language level, region, ancestry, and native language.

INVESTIGATING EXPERIENCED AND NOVICE ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS` PERCEPTIONS of MOST USEFUL VOCABULARY LEARNING STRATEGIES (VLS)

Purpose of the study: This article report’s findings from a study on the differences and similarities between experienced and novice English language learners with regards to their personal use of VLS.&#x0D; Methodology: Closed questionnaire and semi-structure interviews were applied to collect the data. The questionnaire was distributed among 60 (30 experienced learners and 30 novice learners). In addition, 20 learners (10 experienced learners and 10 novice learners) were asked to answer the questions in the interview. Therefore, descriptive statistics, U Mann Whitney test, and independent-sample t-test were run to compare and analyzed the data.&#x0D; Main Findings: The finding showed that there were significant differences between experienced and novice learners’ thoughts towards vocabulary learning strategies and experienced learners used vocabulary learning strategies while learning new words in English language learning.&#x0D; Applications of this study: If the learners are taught how to use each strategy correctly, their understanding of the language can naturally be improved. Moreover, VLS is beneficial throughout the process of vocabulary learning which makes learners more independent and allows teachers to focus on other things as well.&#x0D; Novelty/Originality of this study: To the best of researchers’ knowledge, no study has been done on investigating Iranian experienced and novice English language learners` perceptions towards most useful vocabulary learning strategies (VLS).