Vocabulary Strategy Use Research Articles

The Influence of Language Strategy Use to the English Language Proficiency of Grade 11 Students: A Correlational Study

This study dealt with the influence of Language strategy use and English language proficiency of Grade 11 students in Lorenzo S. Sarmiento Sr. National High School. The primary goal of the study was to determine the level of Language strategy use, and English language proficiency in terms of their respective indicators, the significant relationship between Language strategy use and English language proficiency and what domains of Language strategy use substantially influence English language proficiency. Also, this study utilized a quantitative-correctional design with 202 respondents among Grade 11 students in Lorenzo S. Sarmiento Sr. National High School. The average weighted mean, Pearson R, and multiple regression analysis were the statistical tools used in this study. Along with this, results showed a high level of Language strategy use among grade 11 students in terms of listening strategy use, vocabulary strategy use and translation strategy use. Also, results showed a high level of English language proficiency in grade 11 students regarding speaking proficiency, reading proficiency and writing proficiency. In addition, there is a high correlation, and a significant relationship between Language strategy and English language proficiency. Hence, this leads to the rejection of the null hypothesis. Also, all domains of language strategy use showed high ratings as perceived by students. Thus, the students may continue to improve their Language strategy use so that they can easily learn the English language proficiency.

The effect of vocabulary learning strategy training on vocabulary strategy use

Nowadays, it is recommended to train students on how to learn vocabulary, for it is not practicable to teach all the English language words. The purpose of this article was to find out the effect of vocabulary learning strategy training on vocabulary learning strategy use of university students. The research design used in this study was experimental. 40 students (20 students in each group) from both experimental and control groups completed the adapted Schmitt’s (1997) Vocabulary Learning Strategies Questionnaire (VLSQ) before and after the vocabulary learning strategy training. After the students completed the pre-training questionnaire, only the experimental group learners received vocabulary learning strategy training for 16 hours. The researcher prepared the vocabulary strategy training material by integrating the vocabulary lessons incorporated from different books. Paired samples t-test was computed on SPSS version 24 to find out if there was a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups regarding vocabulary learning strategy use. The study found that the experimental group participants improved their vocabulary usage significantly better than the control group participants in the five among six major categories of vocabulary learning strategies (less than the p-value of 0.05). Future researchers can study the effect of training in learning strategies of other language skills and sub-skills and can improve their strategy usage. One of the significance contributions of this study could be curriculum designers might employ this article as an input to incorporate vocabulary learning strategies into English language training materials and improve students’ vocabulary strategy use.

The Effects of the Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach (CALLA) on Vocabulary Strategy Use by Moroccan Common Core Graders

Much of the research in the field of English language teaching indicates that not all Strategy-Based Instruction (SBI) studies have achieved successful results. Some SBI programmes have proved their efficiency in some skill areas but not in others, even within the same study (Oxford, 1989). This study explores the effect of vocabulary strategy instruction application with a sample of 40 EFL learners attending a common core class in a Moroccan high school. The student participants were divided into an experimental group, which received vocabulary strategy training, and a control group, which followed the regular English language course. Vocabulary strategy use in both groups was evaluated with the use of the adapted Vocabulary Learning Questionnaire of Gu and Johnson’s (1996, pp. 673-679) (VLQ Version 3), which was distributed before and immediately after the intervention. The results indicated that after the completion of the intervention programme, the experimental group showed significant improvement in self-reported vocabulary strategy use as a whole as well as in all strategy groups. The findings of the current study prove the "teachability" of learning strategies and insist that explicit and integrated strategy training should be implemented in the EFL classroom. From a theoretical point of view, the results of the study may lead to a good understanding of the nature of language acquisition in general, particularly in foreign language learning contexts. Furthermore, the results may be very useful for practitioners who are involved in the areas of syllabus design, curriculum planning, and material development.

Task-supported language teaching to enhance young EFL adolescent learners’ comprehension and production of English phrasal verbs in Taiwan

ABSTRACTResearchers and language teachers have become increasingly aware of the importance of multi-word items in developing fluency and sounding native-like in English. Nevertheless, understanding and using English phrasal verbs can be challenging and limiting for learners in an EFL environment; offering opportunities to maximise their use of phrasal verbs in language classroom is necessary. The present study investigates how task-supported language teaching enhances young EFL adolescents’ comprehension and production of English phrasal verbs and explores the relationship between test performance and vocabulary strategy use. Fifty 13-year-old students from a school participated in the study. Analyses of the questionnaire survey, pre- and post-test results, and task performance revealed that tasks had a strong and positive effect on enhancing the participants’ comprehension and production of the English phrasal verbs. Although vocabulary strategies were widely employed by the participants, high phrasal verb test scores were found to be related only to memorisation strategies.

The Impact of Strategy Training on Vocabulary Comprehension

This article focuses on a study of the effect of strategy training on vocabulary comprehension. 112 sophomore English-majored students at Yangtze University were chosen as participants in a strategies-based instructional treatment or comparison group students receiving the regular vocabulary course. Data were gained through the performance of a set of two vocabulary tasks on a prepost basis by both groups and were analyzed by the tool SPSS17.0. The subsample of 24 students also provided verbal report data to show their cognitive insights into strategy use and the instruction itself. The findings showed that 1) Chinese English-majors used a variety of English vocabulary learning strategies in vocabulary learning, including metacognitive, cognitive and social/affective strategies. 2) The increased use of vocabulary strategies contributed positively to vocabulary and article comprehension.

The use of dialogic strategy clusters for vocabulary learning by Chinese students in the UK

Large-scale questionnaire surveys tend to treat learners' vocabulary strategy use as relatively stable and removed from their context. More research is needed to explore learners' vocabulary strategy use within particular contexts. Using data collected from classroom observation, interviews and VOCABlog (including photovoice and diaries), the researcher investigated the strategic vocabulary learning process of two Chinese students who were on a pre-university course at two British universities from both cognitive and sociocultural perspectives. This paper provides a more holistic view of strategic vocabulary learning, and examines the dynamic, complex and contextually situated nature of learners' strategy use. The findings imply that in order to enhance their vocabulary learning, international students should seek opportunities to engage with target language speakers and pay particular attention to the contexts where they learn vocabulary. They also need make deliberate and continuous efforts to form dynamic strategy combinations through verbal interaction with more capable others.

Measuring Vocabulary Learning Strategy Use of Turkish EFL Learners in Relation to Academic Success and Vocabulary Size

The purpose of this study was to investigate Vocabulary Learning Strategy (VLS) use of English Language andLiterature Department students in relation to academic success and vocabulary size. The participants of the study are213 English Language and Literature students. Two data collection tools were used in the study. The first tool wastheVocabulary Learning Strategy (VLS) questionnaire which was adapted from by Gu & Johnson (1996), and thesecond data collection tool was a Vocabulary Level Test (VLT) developed by Nation (1983).Descriptive statisticswere conducted in order to measure the level of vocabulary learning strategy (VLS) use and vocabulary size of theparticipants. In addition, correlation analysis was carried out in order to see which VLSs are more frequently used bylow, middle and upper level vocabulary size students. The results indicated that the participants have a high level ofvocabulary size for 2000 word level, 3000 word level, and academic word levels, a moderate level of vocabulary sizefor 5000 word level and a low level in 10000 word level. The participants were found to have a moderate level ofvocabulary learning strategy use. The study also found that 3rd grade students had larger vocabulary size in terms of2000, 3000 and academic vocabulary level. As for the vocabulary strategy use, 3rd grade students were found to usebottom-up strategies and note-taking strategies more frequently than 2nd grade students. Finally, correlation analysisrevealed that bottom-up strategies, using linguistic clues, and top-down strategies significantly correlated withacademic success.

The Relationship between Iranian EFL Learners’ Self-efficacy Beliefs and Use of Vocabulary Learning Strategies

This study explores the relationship between Iranian EFL juniors’ self-efficacy beliefs and their employed vocabulary learning strategies. The participants were 50 juniors studying English Translation at University of Sistan & Baluchestan. The self-efficacy and vocabulary learning strategies questionnaires were administered to identify the students’ self-efficacy beliefs and their vocabulary learning strategies. The obtained results revealed that students had rather high level of self-efficacy and that self-efficacy was significantly positively related to their use of the four subcategories of vocabulary learning strategies in general and the use of memory strategies in particular. Highly self-efficacious students reported significantly more use of vocabulary strategies than those with low self-efficacy. The results point out the importance of nurturing learners’ self-efficacy beliefs and its impact on successful learning experiences and achievement.

Vocabulary Learning Strategies of Medical Students at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences

This study aimed to investigate the use of vocabulary learning strategies among medical students at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS) in Iran as an EFL context. A questionnaire was administered to 120 medical students (53 males, 67 females) to identify; 1) the effective types of vocabulary learning strategies used by the learners and 2) the differences in vocabulary strategy use based on gender. The results revealed that guessing and dictionary strategies were the most frequently used VLS and social and study preference strategies were the least used ones. The results of ANOVA showed that there were statistically significant differences in the mean scores of the eight strategies. As to gender, the females utilized more VLS than males specially in the case of guessing and note-taking strategies; the statistical analysis indicated a significant difference between the students’ gender and their choice of VLS.

The Influence of Incidental and Intentional Vocabulary Acquisition and Vocabulary Strategy Use on Learning L2 Vocabularies

This study is an attempt to investigate the role of incidental and intentional vocabulary acquisition in addition to the influence of language learning strategy: namely, the use of vocabulary strategy by Iranian EFL learners in learning new vocabularies. Accordingly, this study is two-faceted. First, Part A examines the difference between different modes of presentation, incidental and intentional learning of new vocabularies (i.e., incidental, etymology-based intentional, and meaning-based intentional), and acquisition of new vocabularies. Part B investigates the impact of the use of language learning strategies—in this case vocabulary and reading strategy use using The Language Strategy Use Inventory—on the learning of new vocabularies. Part A, studying the influence of incidental as opposed to intentional presentation and acquisition of vocabularies, involved 30 students (i.e., 26 males and 4 females). Part B of the study, investigating the role of vocabulary learning strategy use, involved 59 students (i.e., 49 males and 10 females). The results of Part A shown by t-test indicate that, as far as performance of the students on a test of vocabulary acquisition is concerned, there is no significant difference between the two modes—incidental and intentional learning. However, for the same part, linear regression proved that among the vocabularies presented through different modes of presentation, it is vocabularies learned through meaning-based intentional mode that is the most predictive of the performance of the students on a test of vocabulary acquisition. Moreover, as for part B, the study found that there is a positive, but weak, correlation between the students' vocabulary strategy use - measured by students filling out a self-report questionnaire entitled The Language Strategy Use Inventory developed by Cohen, A, Oxford, L. R, and Chi. J. - and their learning of new vocabularies. Finally, the findings of part B of the study indicate that, as the degree to which the students' use of vocabulary strategy use increases, so does their use of reading strategy use. Index Terms—incidental and intentional learning, explicit and implicit learning, language learning strategies, vocabulary learning strategy use

The Evolution of Vocabulary Learning Strategies in a Computer-Mediated Reading Environment

Numerous studies have indicated that the provision of appropriate computer-mediated support to second language (L2) learners results in different vocabulary learning outcomes. However, there is no study available that investigates the transition in their way of learning vocabulary under the influence of technology-based support. This article presents a comparative study that examines the differences between L2 learners' use of vocabulary strategies with or without such support. Twenty-four ESL students in a Toronto high school were involved. A language learning system was implemented to facilitate a technology-enhanced reading environment. Observations and tape-recorded field notes contribute to the data collection. The results showed that (a) a variety of strategies were employed across cognitive, compensatory, metacognitive and social categories when students learned vocabulary through sustained reading within the computer-mediated environment and that (b) significant variations in the techniques and functionalities of strategies were found between the two reading conditions. Situated within the vocabulary learning strategy framework, the article argues that the technology-enhanced scaffoldings can effectively assist students to advance their learning strategies, potentially optimizing their reading-based vocabulary acquisition.

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.

Proficient and Less Proficient Comprehenders' Strategy use for Different Top-Level Structures

This study examined proficient and less proficient high school comprehenders' use of strategies as they read three passages with different top-level structures: collection, causation, and comparison. Subjects were 24 tenth and eleventh graders who were divided into proficient and less proficient comprehenders based on results of standardized comprehension tests: proficient comprehenders scored above the 70th percentile; less proficient comprehenders below the 50th percentile. Content area passages were used with the proficient comprehenders and were revised for the less proficient comprehenders so that the passages would be the same relative difficulty for both groups. Results indicate that both groups of readers used similar strategies: rereading, previous knowledge, inference, reading subsequent text, utilizing author's structure, relating to the main idea, and focusing on key vocabulary. Use of inferences was more valuable than other strategies on the collection passage, and use of author's structure was more valuable on the causation passage than on the other passages for the proficient comprehenders. Proficient comprehenders differed from less proficient comprehenders in their greater use of previous knowledge on the collection passage and their greater use of vocabulary strategies on the causation and comparison passages. Implications for instruction are addressed.