scholarly journals The Mind of a Good Language Learner: A Case Study of Vocabulary-learning Strategies

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 34
Author(s):  
Nada Jaber Alasmari

There is a substantial amount of research in the fields of language-learning strategies and good language learners (GLLs); however, few studies have investigated vocabulary-learning strategies’ use among successful learners. Thus, this paper aims to explore the vocabulary-learning strategies employed by GLLs. To fulfill this aim, a case study was conducted. The participant was a 21-year-old student who passed the standardized test of English proficiency with a high score. This study implemented three instruments, as follows: (1) a vocabulary size test to identify the vocabulary difficulty level, (2) vocabulary knowledge scale test, and (3) think-aloud protocol. In addition, the data collected were analyzed thematically. The findings showed that the participant exhibited two types of strategies. First, he used metacognitive strategies, including monitoring and planning; second, he employed cognitive strategies, which comprised retrieval, avoidance, making associations, and verification. The results indicated that there is a set of language-learning and vocabulary-learning strategies that GLLs tend to use. Moreover, these strategies incorporate but are not limited to cognitive and metacognitive skills. Given these results, this paper clarifies that the vocabulary-learning strategies a GLL displays can be used to help low-level students and learners in general further their learning.

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (6) ◽  
pp. 218-223
Author(s):  
Ghada Alahmad

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.


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.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 288-295
Author(s):  
Elnaz Zariholhosseini ◽  
Ehsan Namaziandost ◽  
Mehdi Nasri

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. 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. 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. 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. 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).


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 316-331
Author(s):  
Hélder Fanha Martins ◽  
Maria João Ferro

Among the essential challenges faced by students in foreign language learning processes is vocabulary learning. Lexical competence has been acknowledged as critical to the use of language in which the students’ inadequate knowledge of the vocabulary causes problems in learning a second language. Therefore, learners require being educated with vocabulary in learning strategies when learning a second language. Contemporary research has not scrutinised to the fullest the categories of strategies of vocabulary learning used by learners who are majoring in Accounting.  The main objective of this research was to understand how students use vocabulary learning strategies. For that, we adopted a qualitative approach, based on open-ended individual interviews with fifteen learners. The strategies that were concluded include the monolingual and bilingual dictionary use, usage of several media of English language, learning a word by specific texts, and application of new words in everyday conversation, interrelated to memory, strategies of metacognitive, and determination. These are common strategies and have keenly been used by students.


Author(s):  
Lê Thị Tuyết Hạnh

<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>


2021 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-36
Author(s):  
Biljana Radić-Bojanić

The paper examines how frequently high school students use EFL vocabulary learning strategies and whether contextual educational factors have any influence on strategy selection. The theoretical part discusses the importance of language learning strategies, which can facilitate the internalization, storage, retrieval, or use of the new language, factors that affect their usage and selection (e.g. nature of the task, students' motivation, foreign language proficiency, teacher's expectations, students' learning styles, students' gender), as well as the process of vocabulary acquisition. The empirical part presents the results of the analysis of a survey conducted among students from two high schools in Serbia, a vocational school and a grammar school. The aim of the research is to determine how frequently students use vocabulary learning strategies and if there are any statistically significant differences in strategy use between students from the two schools which are the consequence of different subjects and learning objectives. The results show that the majority of vocabulary learning strategies have medium use among high school students (seven out of nine memory strategies, seven out of nine cognitive strategies and two out of four compensatory strategies) and that there are certain inter-group differences (whereas students from the medical high school use memory strategies more frequently, students from the grammar school report higher use of cognitive and compensatory strategies). The results indicate that there are important cross-curricular links which point to the transfer of learning strategies from content subjects to English language classes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-70
Author(s):  
Cemil Gökhan Karacan ◽  
Kenan Dikilitaş

SummaryVocabulary learning strategy domain has been one of the areas of research in the language learning strategy field. Bilinguals use different language and vocabulary learning strategies than monolinguals (Hong-Nam & Leavell, 2007; Jessner, 1999). Even though there are numerous studies that investigate and compare monolingual, bilingual, and multilingual language learning strategy use, no studies have been conducted to compare the vocabulary learning strategy use in simultaneous and sequential bilinguals. This paper addresses this gap by investigating and comparing those strategies reported by Italian-Turkish simultaneous and sequential bilingual high school students with a total number of 103 participants, 34 of which are simultaneous bilinguals and the remaining 69 sequential bilinguals. The Vocabulary Learning Strategies Questionnaire (VLSQ) developed by Schmitt (1997) was utilized as the instrument of data collection. We found that simultaneous and sequential bilinguals (a) are medium to high level vocabulary strategy users, (b) report using social strategies the most, (c) do not differ considerably in their choice of vocabulary learning strategy type, but (d) differ substantially in their choices of metacognitive strategy use. The results offer implications for teachers and teacher educators particularly as to how they teach and support bilingual students’ vocabulary learning process in monolingual contexts.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 313-348
Author(s):  
Richard LaBontee

This article reports on the final round of piloting for a questionnaire instrument created and designed with the intention of collecting self-report data on adult, beginner Swedish L2 learners’ use of vocabulary learning strategies. The Swedish Vocabulary Learning Strategy Survey (SVLSS) version 1.2 is distributed to 182 participants studying Swedish at institutes of higher learning in Sweden. The collected data set is subject to exploratory factor analysis to explore initial interpretations of the underlying constructs of the instrument, and analyzed for content validity and internal consistency. Readability and accessibility of the instrument is also addressed. Initial findings and interpretations are used to guide the development of a preliminary VLS taxonomy for the SVLSS, as well as suggest and perform revisions that will result in the SVLSS 2.0.


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