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.

Author(s):  
Hamza Atifnigar Editor ◽  
Zia Ur Rahman Zaheer ◽  
Wahidullah Alokozay

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).


Author(s):  
Sharon Fung-Chien Kho ◽  
Joseph Ramanair ◽  
Ambigapathy Pandian

A good grasp of vocabulary enables language learners to articulate, comprehend and communicate ideas and concepts effectively. For learners whose first language is not English, mastering vocabulary knowledge in terms of the breadth and depth is challenging and needs to start at a young age through the use of various strategies. The lack of English language vocabulary knowledge would demotivate learners and even result in abandoning efforts to learn the language. Therefore, it is important that learners know and are able to use five strategies, which include determination, social, cognitive, memory, and metacognitive strategies to learn vocabulary. Determination and social strategies are in the discovery category, while social cognitive, memory, and metacognitive strategies are in the consolidation category. This study aims to determine the vocabulary learning strategies used by 132 Year Five primary school English language students in two urban National Type Chinese schools in Sarawak. It investigated the strategies these learners used, how frequently they used them, and their reasons for preferring particular strategies. Data were collected from two classrooms at each school through the use of questionnaire and individual interview. Questionnaire results were analysed descriptively in terms of mean scores and standard deviation while interview responses were coded, categorised and analysed using thematic analysis. The findings suggest that while the students employed moderate use of all the five strategies, cognitive strategies which involved mechanical approaches were the most used while social strategies were not used by all students.


Author(s):  
Ida Nyoman Tri Darma Putra

Vocabulary is crucial to language learning in which lack vocabulary knowledge will make learner difficult to learn the language. Vocabulary knowledge is affected by the vocabulary learning strategies. The purpose of the present study was to identify the vocabulary learning strategies employed by postgraduate students and also try to explore the most and least vocabulary strategy used by Mataram university postgraduate students. The sample of this study was 40 postgraduate students of English department in FKIP Mataram University in academic year 2014/2015. Vocabulary learning strategies questionnaire was used in this study to identify students’ frequency of vocabulary learning strategies use. The result of the study showed that the research subjects used the vocabulary learning strategies in all five categories. The memory strategies (37.80) were the most frequently strategies by all subjects. Meanwhile determination strategies (mean=19.43) were determined as the second frequently used strategies followed by cognitive (mean=15.23), metacognitive (mean=13,26). The social strategies were determined as the least used strategies by all students with mean score of 11.00. In specific, looking at each item of category, the most vocabulary learning strategy used by postgraduate students was guessing from context (mean=3.33) which is part of determination category and the least vocabulary learning strategy used by postgraduate students was ask other people to discover the meaning of new vocabulary (mean=1.50)


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 32
Author(s):  
Melek Yolcu ◽  
Meryem Mirioğlu

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.   Keywords: English Language Learning, Vocabulary Learning, Vocabulary Learning Strategies, Learner Perceptions. NB: Please note that the first author is Melek YOLCU.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arab World English Journal ◽  
Fatima Salaheldeen Ahmed Hamza ◽  
Mohamad Subakir Mohd Yasin ◽  
Ashinida Aladdin

The learning of new vocabulary as a part of English for Foreign Language (EFL) teaching and learning has not been investigated thoroughly because its effectiveness has been questioned by various researchers in the past. However, in recent years, various studies have shown that proper strategies in acquiring new words could be one of the keys to effective language learning among EFL learners. This study investigates how Sudanese EFL learners at Khartoum University, Sudan use and evaluate vocabulary learning strategies (VLSs). The three selected categories of vocabulary learning strategies - metacognitive, discovery, and consolidation - were chosen according to taxonomies proposed by Al-Fuhaid (2004), Schmitt (1997) and Nation (2001). These VLSs were then evaluated using Han’s Information Processing Theory and Craik and Lockhart’s Depth of Processing Theory (1972) to meet the two objectives of this study. The first objective was to examine the most frequently used VLSs employing a set questionnaire designed to elicit the necessary data. The second objective was to evaluate the usefulness of each of these VLSs by conducting in-depth interviews with the respondents. The results showed that metacognitive strategies were the most frequently used VLS among the three. In-depth interview data revealed that respondents evaluated all three VLS positively and considered them very useful in acquiring as well as understanding words. These findings suggest that language learners in Sudan should be taught vocabulary enhancing techniques while language instructors should use and teach these VLS to learners explicitly.


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>


2013 ◽  
Vol 477-478 ◽  
pp. 1541-1544
Author(s):  
Yong Hong Sun ◽  
Xiao Wei Jiang ◽  
Ling Zheng ◽  
Xiang Dong Xu

This research aims at investigating language learning strategies of students of English as a foreign language in China. Using the questionnaire SILL as an instrument, qualitative and quantitative research methods are used. 33 valid questionnaires of university students of Engineering Design Specialty have been collected. The data have been analyzed using SPSS Version 20. The results show that the university students of Engineering Design Specialty sometimes use the English learning strategies at medium level. They sometimes use Compensation strategies, Cognitive strategies, Metacognitive strategies, Affective strategies and Social strategies, and they generally do not use Memory strategies.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 179
Author(s):  
Attapol Khamkhien

The objectives of this investigation were twofold: 1) to identify language learning strategies commonly used by Thai EFL learners, and 2) to determine the roles of three variables contributing to their strategy use: language proficiency and motivation. A set of questionnaires consisting of the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL), and the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) was given to 1,405 Thai university students studying English. The analysis revealed that, in general, memory strategies were found to be the most common learning strategies, whereas social strategies were the least common. Motivation was reported to be the most significant variables affecting their choices of language learning strategies. The analysis revealed certain elucidating facts that can be utilized in future planning of English language teaching to improve the English performance of Thai learners.


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