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ABSTRACT: This essay is about the English vocabulary strategy use of a sampling of four classes of students in Kunming Vocational and Technical College of Industry. This study is based on 40 of the 200 freshmen. These 40 students are made up of two groups. Based on first semester English final examination scores, the first group is called top students (the students with the top 20 scores), while the other group is called the poor students the students with the lowest 20 scores. The aim of the research is to find out what kind of vocabulary strategies the subjects frequently use in their English vocabulary learning and whether the strategies have a mutual relation with their English grades. The data concerning vocabulary strategies was collected using a questionnaire. The questionnaire showed that the two groups of students’ English grades do have relation with how to use learning vocabulary strategies. The 20 top students frequently used memory and cognitive strategies, especially taking notes in class. However, the 20 poor students rarely use any vocabulary strategies. Top students use strategies more frequently than the poor students do. The top students are very different from the poor students in their different learning concept. The former ones desire to learn English actively, which shows the new learning concept, “I want to study.” The latter ones study reluctantly and passively, which reveals the old learning concept “Others want me to study” From the research, there are some pedagogical vocabulary teaching implications. Teachers need to teach students strategies for studying vocabulary. They need to help them increase awareness of vocabulary strategies. The teachers have to give a hand to those poor students. All of the students must take notes in class. The teacher should pay attention to the students’ individual differences. Finally, the researcher lists the limitations and the suggestions for future research.
Key words: high vocational college students;English vocabulary strategies;the top students;the poor students;English grade
I.Introduction
1.The aim of introduction
This essay shows a study of Chinese students on English vocabulary learning ways and the usage of strategies in Kunming Vocational and Technical College of Industry. Most of the students are poor students. They did not get high marks in the entrance examination to college before they came into Kunming Vocational and Technical College of Industry. They were assigned into different classes according to their majors. The thesis also explores the relationship between vocabulary learning strategy use and English- learning achievement. Furthermore, it analyzes and reveals what students’ vocabulary strategies is .Lastly, it stresses the necessity for teachers to supply guidance and help for English-learning beginners.
2.The Importance of English vocabulary learning
It is well-known that it is very important to increase English vocabulary and improve the capability of using vocabulary correctly in a very short time. English is used widely in the world. It has lingua franca status in many parts of the world. Both the teachers and the students believe that vocabulary is an important and a difficult breakout. Vocabulary has been a bottle neck for most of students. Experienced teachers of English always tell their students the importance of vocabulary. The students are requested to learn thousands of words. Up to now both teachers and most students agree on the importance of the vocabulary. For the high vocational college students, they have to have grasped at least 1500-2000 productive words and 300-500 fixed expressions or fixed collocations owing to their poor basis. Therefore, vocabulary teaching and learning strategies are necessary and important.
3.Students have poor ability to learn vocabulary
Most of the students usually memorize words by repeating many times to strengthen their abilities to learn English vocabulary. They mainly depend on mechanical memorizing. Their ways to learn English are simple. Therefore it is quite easy for many students to forget what they have learned. As a result, they begin to doubt their own abilities, and at last they have to give up learning. So it is necessary for those freshmen to accept vocabulary strategy training. This study is to explore the following questions:
1)What vocabulary strategies do high vocational college students frequently use
in their English learning?
2)Are their learning strategy related to English achievements?
II.Literature Review
1.Simple introduction of three kinds of memory process
Why do students forget vocabularies they’ve learned easily? In How To Teach Vocabulary, Scott Thornbury (2003) reveals learning is remembering efficiently. Learners not only should learn a great number of words, but also remember them for a long time.According to Scott Thornbury, he divided the process of memory into three parts: the short-term store, working store and long-term memory.
The first step is called the short-term store. It refers to the brain’s capacity to hold a limited number of items of information for a few seconds. But successful vocabulary learning can hold words in your mind for a few seconds.
The second step is called working memory. Reasoning, learning and understanding depend on working memory. In Thornbury’s (2003) opinion, the working memory can be thought of as a kind of work bench, where information is first placed, studied and moved about before being filed away for later retrieval. Or it can be downloaded from the long-term memory.
The third step is long-term memory, which can be considered as a kind of filing system. According to Scott (2003), learners can retain new C items during the length of a lesson, but will have forgotten them by the next lesson.This suggests that long-term memory is not always as long as we would wish. It works from ‘the quickly forgotten’ to ‘the never forgotten’.
2.Strategies for Vocabulary Learning
2.1.Taxonomies of Vocabulary Learning Strategies
Many language linguists classify learning strategies, such as Cohen, (1998); Gu & Johnson, (1996); Naiman, Frohlich, Stern & Todesco, (1978); O’Malley & Chamot, (1990); Rubin, (1981). Rubin (1981) classified the strategies into two primary groups: direct and indirect learning strategies. The former refers to those directly affecting learning and the latter consists of those contributing indirectly to learning.
Rod Ellis (2000) classified learning strategies into three strategies. Firstly, cognitive strategies are those that are involved in the analysis, synthesis, or transformation of learning materials. Secondly, meta-cognitive strategies are those involved in planning, monitoring, and evaluating learning. Thirdly, social strategies concern the ways in which learners choose to interact with other speakers.
Naiman (1978) proposed five broad categories of learning strategies with numerous secondary categories. Influenced strongly by the findings of cognitive psychology, O’Malley and Chamot (1990) considered learning strategies as cognitive skills. Learning strategies have been divided into three categories depending on the level or type of processing involved (O’Malley et al. 1985). They are meta-cognitive strategies, cognitive strategies, and social/affective strategies. Meta-cognitive strategies are high-level skills that may entail planning for, monitoring, or evaluating the success of a learning activity. Cognitive strategies operate directly on incoming information, manipulating it in ways that enhance learning. Social/affective strategies represent a broad grouping that involves either interaction with another person. Gu and Johnson (1996) established two main dimensions of vocabulary learning strategies for their study, meta-cognitive regulation and cognitive strategies, which covered six subcategories: guessing, using a dictionary, note-taking, rehearsal, encoding, and activating. The total number of strategies in their study was 74.
Cohen (1998) defined learning strategies as learning processes which are consciously selected by the learners. Language use strategies are those used in producing the language. It includes four parts, retrieval strategies, rehearsal strategies, cover strategies, and communication strategies.
Schmitt (1997) suggested that it was therefore necessary to create a new category for these strategies: Determination Strategies (DET). Oxford’s categories seemed to be inadequate in categorizing vocabulary learning strategies, as some strategies could easily fit into two or more groups, making their classification difficult. Interacting with native speakers is obviously a Social Strategy, but if it is a part of an overall language learning plan, it could also be a Meta-cognitive Strategy. Strategies are affected by a number of factors, and different intended purposes for a strategy in different situations can affect its classification. Also, it is often unclear whether some strategies should be classified as Memory Strategies or Cognitive Strategies.
Considering the multiple sources consulted, the taxonomy can be regarded as a dynamic working inventory which suggests the major strategies although it should not be viewed as exhaustive (Schmitt, 1997).
2.2.Studies on Vocabulary Learning Strategies in China
Western-based based research does not in principle tell us anything about the learning of English vocabulary by Chinese learners. We need research in a Chinese cultural context. Empirical studies on English learning strategies conducted by Mainland Chinese scholars started at the beginning of the 1980s. Most studies on vocabulary learning strategies investigated the vocabulary learning strategies used by English or non-English major university students (e.g. Fan & Wang, 2002; Gu, 1994; Gu & Hu, 2003; Gu & Johnson, 1996; Wang, 1998; Wu & Wang, 1998) or non-English major postgraduates (Zhang, 2001).
Gao (2004) reported a comparative study on English vocabulary learning strategies employed by junior and senior high school students. The subjects are 123 junior Grade Two students and 91 senior Grade Two students. Detailed analysis of the quantitative data leads to the following findings: 1) High school students seldom employ meta-cognitive or social-affective strategies whereas they frequently use some of the cognitive strategies; 2) A noticeable difference exists between junior and senior high school students in terms of the use of vocabulary learning strategies. The most commonly used strategies by junior middle school students are repetition, doing exercises and asking questions, but senior high school students employed more strategies like plan-making, self-evaluation, association, guessing, context and dictionaries.
III.Research Methodology
3.1.Subjects
Subjects in the current study are a sampling of two classes of Kunming Vocational and Technical College of Industry. This study is based on 40 of the 200 freshmen. These 40 students are made up of two groups. Based on first semester English final examination scores, the first group is called top students (the students with the top 20 scores), while the other group is called the poor students (the students with the lowest 20 scores.) These two classes are taught by the researcher. So it is convenient to conduct this study. In order to ensure the validity, students were chosen according to first-term final exam scores, the 20 top students and the lowest 20 poor students were chosen and studied. Further, differences in their vocabulary strategy use were found. But before we train the students’ vocabulary strategy use, we should learn about what strategies they are using. The researcher hopes the subjects can become aware of their learning strategies and develop more suitable and effective vocabulary learning strategies as soon as they begin to learn English.
3.2.Methods and Data
The current study is to explore the vocabulary strategy use of freshmen and the correlation between vocabulary strategy use and the English achievement performance. It is mainly a quantitative study of the present study.
3.2.1. The First-Term Final Examination
After the first-term final examination papers were corrected by all the English teachers in our college using an “assembly line” method, the researcher began to collect data on subjects’ use of vocabulary learning strategies by means of a questionnaire about the students’ learning vocabulary strategies. According to Robert Schmitt, the present taxonomy of learning strategies is 58, such as determination strategies, social strategies, memory strategies, cognitive and meta-cognitive strategies. The questionnaire used in the study includes 50 items grouped into five categories of vocabulary learning strategies as we discussed before.
Discovery (or determination) strategies: for learning a new word’s meaning by guessing and using reference materials.
Social strategies: for learning or practicing vocabulary, such as cooperative group, students enlisting teachers to check their work for accuracy, and interacting with native speakers.
Memory strategies: such as pictures/imagery, related words, grouping, studying the spelling or pronunciation of a word, moving physically, and reviewing in a structured way.
Cognitive strategies, including repetition and using mechanical means or studying aids to study vocabulary, such as word cards and lists or vocabulary notebooks and reviewing techniques.
Meta-cognitive strategies: for controlling and evaluate students’ own learning, searching for practice opportunities and planning for learning tasks.
3.2.2.Questionnaire about Vocabulary Learning Strategies
The questionnaire adopted the taxonomy of the Oxford system. Please respond to each statement quickly, without too much thought.
1=This statement is never or almost never true of me
2=This statement is usually not true of me
3=This statement is sometimes true of me
4=This statement is usually true of me
5=This statement is always or almost always true of me
A. Determination Strategies
Str1, If I don’t know a word, I guess its meaning by analyzing its root, affixes or part of speech.
Str2, If I don’t know a compound word or a contraction, I guess their meaning from their structural analysis.
Str3, If I meet a new word, I guess its meaning by checking for an L1 word which has the similar pronunciation and meaning, e.g. jiaozi and“饺子”。
B.Social Strategies
Str4, I study and practice words’ meaning in a group.
Str5, I enlist the teacher to check my flash cards or word lists for accuracy.
Str6, I interact with native speakers to gain vocabulary.
C.Memory Strategies
i.Pictures/imagery
Str7, I learn a new word by studying it with a pictorial representation of its meaning instead of definition.
Str8, I create my own mental images of a word’s meaning.
Str9, I connect the word to a particularly vivid personal experience of the underlying concept. For example, I mentally connect the word snow to a memory of playing in the snow while a child.
ii. Related words
Str10, I associate the word with its coordinates. For example, apple can be linked to other kinds of fruit like pears, cherries, or peaches.
Str11, I connect the word to its synonyms and antonyms.
Str12, I use semantic maps to help consolidate vocabulary.
iii. Grouping
Str13, If I am given lists of words to study, I group words together before memorization, for example, all animals first, before moving on to another category like names.
Str14, I use new words in sentences.
Str15, I group words together within a storyline.
iv. Spelling and Pronunciation
Str16, I study the spelling of a word to remember it.
Str17, I study the sound of a word to remember it.
Str18, I say new words aloud when studying.
v. Other memory strategies
Str19 ,I study a word’s affixes and root to remember its meaning.
Str20, I study a word’s part of speech to remember its meaning.
Str21, I paraphrase the word’s meaning to improve its recall.
D.Cognitive Strategies
Str22, I say a word over and over again to remember it.
Str23, I write a word repeatedly to remember it.
Str24, I use word lists to review words.
E.Meta-cognitive Strategies
Str25, I use English-language media (songs, books, magazines, newspapers, movies, newscasts, etc.) to study.
Str26, I test myself with word tests.
Str27, I use spaced word practice to review the words.
3.3.Data Analysis
The purpose of this procedure is to analyze all the data obtained from questionnaires. Data analysis was carried out after students’ final tests were marked and the questionnaire was studied. The correlation between students’ test performance and strategy use is calculated using SPSS software.
IV. Results and Discussion
4.1. Data Analysis
Table 1 reveals the 20 top students’ descriptive statistics. Table 2 reveals 20 poor students’ descriptive statistics.
Table 1 20Top Students’ Descriptive Statistics
The table above shows us that the top students frequently use memory strategies and cognitive strategies and that the top students don’t frequently use determination strategies and meta-cognitive strategies.
Table 2 20 Poor Students’ Descriptive Statistics
Table 2 indicates that the poor students more depend on word spelling and word list than the top students. They sometimes use determination strategies, memory strategies and social strategies. They need more encouragement to learn vocabulary. And they need to raise the vocabulary strategy awareness. The English teacher should give them patient help and efficient guidelines.
IV.Conclusions
This study tries to find the reason why some students have a failure in learning English vocabulary. The results and findings show that the top students used determination strategies, social strategies, memory strategies, cognitive strategies and meta-cognitive strategies. And they frequently use memory strategies and social strategies. For poor students, they are negative to use each strategy, only memory strategy 27. It shows there is a close relationship between English vocabulary strategy uses and their achievements. The top students desire to learn English actively, which reveals the concept, “I want to study.” while the poor students study reluctantly and passively, which shows the concept “Others want me to study”.
References:
[1]Bellezza,F.S(1981).Mnemonic devices: classification, characteristics, and criteria. Review of Educational Research.
[2]Brown,T.S.and Perry,F.L. (1991). A comparison of three learning strategies for ESL vocabulary acquisition. TESOL Quarterly. 25 (4), 655-670.
[3]Gao,J.L.(2004).A Comparative Study on English Vocabulary Learning Strategies Employed by Junior and Senior Middle School Students. Journal of Yulin College. 14 (4), 106-109.
[4]Gu,Y.Q. (1994). Vocabulary learning strategies and language learning outcomes. Paper presented at the International Language in Education Conference in Hong Kong.
[5]Gu,Y.Q.& Hu,G.W.(2003).Change in Vocabulary Learning Strategies, Vocabulary Size and English Achievement. In Q. F. Wen & L. F. Wang (Eds). The Empirical Studies on English Learning Strategies. Xi’an: Shaanxi Normal University Press.
[6]Harmer,J.(2003). How to Teach Vocabulary. Beijing: World Affairs Press.
[7]James,C.& Thomas,H. (2001). Second Language Vocabulary AcquisitionShanghai : Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press.
[8]Li, Li &Chen, Z.A. (2005). .Strategies, Styles And Attribution : Learning To Learn English . Shanghai:Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press.
[9]Naiman, N., Frohlich, M., Stern, H. H. & Todesco,A.(1978).The Good Language Learner. Ontario: The Ontario Institute for the Studies in Education.
[10]Norbert.S.(2002).Vocabulary:Description, Acquisition And Pedagogy. Shanghai : Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press.
[11]Rod,E.SecondLanguageAcquisition (2000). Shanghai:Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press. P77.
[12]Schmitt,N.(1997). Vocabulary learning strategies. In N. Schmitt & M. McCarthy (Eds.). Vocabulary: Description, acquisition, and pedagogy (pp. 199-227).Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
[13]Stern,H .H. (1983). Fundamental Concepts of Language Teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
[14]Thornbury, S.& Harmer, J. (2003). How to teach vocabulary. Beijing: Pearson Education North Asia Limited and World Affairs Press.
[15]Yang, D.H.(2004)《语言研究应用SPSS软件实例大全》.中国社会科学出版社.
Key words: high vocational college students;English vocabulary strategies;the top students;the poor students;English grade
I.Introduction
1.The aim of introduction
This essay shows a study of Chinese students on English vocabulary learning ways and the usage of strategies in Kunming Vocational and Technical College of Industry. Most of the students are poor students. They did not get high marks in the entrance examination to college before they came into Kunming Vocational and Technical College of Industry. They were assigned into different classes according to their majors. The thesis also explores the relationship between vocabulary learning strategy use and English- learning achievement. Furthermore, it analyzes and reveals what students’ vocabulary strategies is .Lastly, it stresses the necessity for teachers to supply guidance and help for English-learning beginners.
2.The Importance of English vocabulary learning
It is well-known that it is very important to increase English vocabulary and improve the capability of using vocabulary correctly in a very short time. English is used widely in the world. It has lingua franca status in many parts of the world. Both the teachers and the students believe that vocabulary is an important and a difficult breakout. Vocabulary has been a bottle neck for most of students. Experienced teachers of English always tell their students the importance of vocabulary. The students are requested to learn thousands of words. Up to now both teachers and most students agree on the importance of the vocabulary. For the high vocational college students, they have to have grasped at least 1500-2000 productive words and 300-500 fixed expressions or fixed collocations owing to their poor basis. Therefore, vocabulary teaching and learning strategies are necessary and important.
3.Students have poor ability to learn vocabulary
Most of the students usually memorize words by repeating many times to strengthen their abilities to learn English vocabulary. They mainly depend on mechanical memorizing. Their ways to learn English are simple. Therefore it is quite easy for many students to forget what they have learned. As a result, they begin to doubt their own abilities, and at last they have to give up learning. So it is necessary for those freshmen to accept vocabulary strategy training. This study is to explore the following questions:
1)What vocabulary strategies do high vocational college students frequently use
in their English learning?
2)Are their learning strategy related to English achievements?
II.Literature Review
1.Simple introduction of three kinds of memory process
Why do students forget vocabularies they’ve learned easily? In How To Teach Vocabulary, Scott Thornbury (2003) reveals learning is remembering efficiently. Learners not only should learn a great number of words, but also remember them for a long time.According to Scott Thornbury, he divided the process of memory into three parts: the short-term store, working store and long-term memory.
The first step is called the short-term store. It refers to the brain’s capacity to hold a limited number of items of information for a few seconds. But successful vocabulary learning can hold words in your mind for a few seconds.
The second step is called working memory. Reasoning, learning and understanding depend on working memory. In Thornbury’s (2003) opinion, the working memory can be thought of as a kind of work bench, where information is first placed, studied and moved about before being filed away for later retrieval. Or it can be downloaded from the long-term memory.
The third step is long-term memory, which can be considered as a kind of filing system. According to Scott (2003), learners can retain new C items during the length of a lesson, but will have forgotten them by the next lesson.This suggests that long-term memory is not always as long as we would wish. It works from ‘the quickly forgotten’ to ‘the never forgotten’.
2.Strategies for Vocabulary Learning
2.1.Taxonomies of Vocabulary Learning Strategies
Many language linguists classify learning strategies, such as Cohen, (1998); Gu & Johnson, (1996); Naiman, Frohlich, Stern & Todesco, (1978); O’Malley & Chamot, (1990); Rubin, (1981). Rubin (1981) classified the strategies into two primary groups: direct and indirect learning strategies. The former refers to those directly affecting learning and the latter consists of those contributing indirectly to learning.
Rod Ellis (2000) classified learning strategies into three strategies. Firstly, cognitive strategies are those that are involved in the analysis, synthesis, or transformation of learning materials. Secondly, meta-cognitive strategies are those involved in planning, monitoring, and evaluating learning. Thirdly, social strategies concern the ways in which learners choose to interact with other speakers.
Naiman (1978) proposed five broad categories of learning strategies with numerous secondary categories. Influenced strongly by the findings of cognitive psychology, O’Malley and Chamot (1990) considered learning strategies as cognitive skills. Learning strategies have been divided into three categories depending on the level or type of processing involved (O’Malley et al. 1985). They are meta-cognitive strategies, cognitive strategies, and social/affective strategies. Meta-cognitive strategies are high-level skills that may entail planning for, monitoring, or evaluating the success of a learning activity. Cognitive strategies operate directly on incoming information, manipulating it in ways that enhance learning. Social/affective strategies represent a broad grouping that involves either interaction with another person. Gu and Johnson (1996) established two main dimensions of vocabulary learning strategies for their study, meta-cognitive regulation and cognitive strategies, which covered six subcategories: guessing, using a dictionary, note-taking, rehearsal, encoding, and activating. The total number of strategies in their study was 74.
Cohen (1998) defined learning strategies as learning processes which are consciously selected by the learners. Language use strategies are those used in producing the language. It includes four parts, retrieval strategies, rehearsal strategies, cover strategies, and communication strategies.
Schmitt (1997) suggested that it was therefore necessary to create a new category for these strategies: Determination Strategies (DET). Oxford’s categories seemed to be inadequate in categorizing vocabulary learning strategies, as some strategies could easily fit into two or more groups, making their classification difficult. Interacting with native speakers is obviously a Social Strategy, but if it is a part of an overall language learning plan, it could also be a Meta-cognitive Strategy. Strategies are affected by a number of factors, and different intended purposes for a strategy in different situations can affect its classification. Also, it is often unclear whether some strategies should be classified as Memory Strategies or Cognitive Strategies.
Considering the multiple sources consulted, the taxonomy can be regarded as a dynamic working inventory which suggests the major strategies although it should not be viewed as exhaustive (Schmitt, 1997).
2.2.Studies on Vocabulary Learning Strategies in China
Western-based based research does not in principle tell us anything about the learning of English vocabulary by Chinese learners. We need research in a Chinese cultural context. Empirical studies on English learning strategies conducted by Mainland Chinese scholars started at the beginning of the 1980s. Most studies on vocabulary learning strategies investigated the vocabulary learning strategies used by English or non-English major university students (e.g. Fan & Wang, 2002; Gu, 1994; Gu & Hu, 2003; Gu & Johnson, 1996; Wang, 1998; Wu & Wang, 1998) or non-English major postgraduates (Zhang, 2001).
Gao (2004) reported a comparative study on English vocabulary learning strategies employed by junior and senior high school students. The subjects are 123 junior Grade Two students and 91 senior Grade Two students. Detailed analysis of the quantitative data leads to the following findings: 1) High school students seldom employ meta-cognitive or social-affective strategies whereas they frequently use some of the cognitive strategies; 2) A noticeable difference exists between junior and senior high school students in terms of the use of vocabulary learning strategies. The most commonly used strategies by junior middle school students are repetition, doing exercises and asking questions, but senior high school students employed more strategies like plan-making, self-evaluation, association, guessing, context and dictionaries.
III.Research Methodology
3.1.Subjects
Subjects in the current study are a sampling of two classes of Kunming Vocational and Technical College of Industry. This study is based on 40 of the 200 freshmen. These 40 students are made up of two groups. Based on first semester English final examination scores, the first group is called top students (the students with the top 20 scores), while the other group is called the poor students (the students with the lowest 20 scores.) These two classes are taught by the researcher. So it is convenient to conduct this study. In order to ensure the validity, students were chosen according to first-term final exam scores, the 20 top students and the lowest 20 poor students were chosen and studied. Further, differences in their vocabulary strategy use were found. But before we train the students’ vocabulary strategy use, we should learn about what strategies they are using. The researcher hopes the subjects can become aware of their learning strategies and develop more suitable and effective vocabulary learning strategies as soon as they begin to learn English.
3.2.Methods and Data
The current study is to explore the vocabulary strategy use of freshmen and the correlation between vocabulary strategy use and the English achievement performance. It is mainly a quantitative study of the present study.
3.2.1. The First-Term Final Examination
After the first-term final examination papers were corrected by all the English teachers in our college using an “assembly line” method, the researcher began to collect data on subjects’ use of vocabulary learning strategies by means of a questionnaire about the students’ learning vocabulary strategies. According to Robert Schmitt, the present taxonomy of learning strategies is 58, such as determination strategies, social strategies, memory strategies, cognitive and meta-cognitive strategies. The questionnaire used in the study includes 50 items grouped into five categories of vocabulary learning strategies as we discussed before.
Discovery (or determination) strategies: for learning a new word’s meaning by guessing and using reference materials.
Social strategies: for learning or practicing vocabulary, such as cooperative group, students enlisting teachers to check their work for accuracy, and interacting with native speakers.
Memory strategies: such as pictures/imagery, related words, grouping, studying the spelling or pronunciation of a word, moving physically, and reviewing in a structured way.
Cognitive strategies, including repetition and using mechanical means or studying aids to study vocabulary, such as word cards and lists or vocabulary notebooks and reviewing techniques.
Meta-cognitive strategies: for controlling and evaluate students’ own learning, searching for practice opportunities and planning for learning tasks.
3.2.2.Questionnaire about Vocabulary Learning Strategies
The questionnaire adopted the taxonomy of the Oxford system. Please respond to each statement quickly, without too much thought.
1=This statement is never or almost never true of me
2=This statement is usually not true of me
3=This statement is sometimes true of me
4=This statement is usually true of me
5=This statement is always or almost always true of me
A. Determination Strategies
Str1, If I don’t know a word, I guess its meaning by analyzing its root, affixes or part of speech.
Str2, If I don’t know a compound word or a contraction, I guess their meaning from their structural analysis.
Str3, If I meet a new word, I guess its meaning by checking for an L1 word which has the similar pronunciation and meaning, e.g. jiaozi and“饺子”。
B.Social Strategies
Str4, I study and practice words’ meaning in a group.
Str5, I enlist the teacher to check my flash cards or word lists for accuracy.
Str6, I interact with native speakers to gain vocabulary.
C.Memory Strategies
i.Pictures/imagery
Str7, I learn a new word by studying it with a pictorial representation of its meaning instead of definition.
Str8, I create my own mental images of a word’s meaning.
Str9, I connect the word to a particularly vivid personal experience of the underlying concept. For example, I mentally connect the word snow to a memory of playing in the snow while a child.
ii. Related words
Str10, I associate the word with its coordinates. For example, apple can be linked to other kinds of fruit like pears, cherries, or peaches.
Str11, I connect the word to its synonyms and antonyms.
Str12, I use semantic maps to help consolidate vocabulary.
iii. Grouping
Str13, If I am given lists of words to study, I group words together before memorization, for example, all animals first, before moving on to another category like names.
Str14, I use new words in sentences.
Str15, I group words together within a storyline.
iv. Spelling and Pronunciation
Str16, I study the spelling of a word to remember it.
Str17, I study the sound of a word to remember it.
Str18, I say new words aloud when studying.
v. Other memory strategies
Str19 ,I study a word’s affixes and root to remember its meaning.
Str20, I study a word’s part of speech to remember its meaning.
Str21, I paraphrase the word’s meaning to improve its recall.
D.Cognitive Strategies
Str22, I say a word over and over again to remember it.
Str23, I write a word repeatedly to remember it.
Str24, I use word lists to review words.
E.Meta-cognitive Strategies
Str25, I use English-language media (songs, books, magazines, newspapers, movies, newscasts, etc.) to study.
Str26, I test myself with word tests.
Str27, I use spaced word practice to review the words.
3.3.Data Analysis
The purpose of this procedure is to analyze all the data obtained from questionnaires. Data analysis was carried out after students’ final tests were marked and the questionnaire was studied. The correlation between students’ test performance and strategy use is calculated using SPSS software.
IV. Results and Discussion
4.1. Data Analysis
Table 1 reveals the 20 top students’ descriptive statistics. Table 2 reveals 20 poor students’ descriptive statistics.
Table 1 20Top Students’ Descriptive Statistics
The table above shows us that the top students frequently use memory strategies and cognitive strategies and that the top students don’t frequently use determination strategies and meta-cognitive strategies.
Table 2 20 Poor Students’ Descriptive Statistics
Table 2 indicates that the poor students more depend on word spelling and word list than the top students. They sometimes use determination strategies, memory strategies and social strategies. They need more encouragement to learn vocabulary. And they need to raise the vocabulary strategy awareness. The English teacher should give them patient help and efficient guidelines.
IV.Conclusions
This study tries to find the reason why some students have a failure in learning English vocabulary. The results and findings show that the top students used determination strategies, social strategies, memory strategies, cognitive strategies and meta-cognitive strategies. And they frequently use memory strategies and social strategies. For poor students, they are negative to use each strategy, only memory strategy 27. It shows there is a close relationship between English vocabulary strategy uses and their achievements. The top students desire to learn English actively, which reveals the concept, “I want to study.” while the poor students study reluctantly and passively, which shows the concept “Others want me to study”.
References:
[1]Bellezza,F.S(1981).Mnemonic devices: classification, characteristics, and criteria. Review of Educational Research.
[2]Brown,T.S.and Perry,F.L. (1991). A comparison of three learning strategies for ESL vocabulary acquisition. TESOL Quarterly. 25 (4), 655-670.
[3]Gao,J.L.(2004).A Comparative Study on English Vocabulary Learning Strategies Employed by Junior and Senior Middle School Students. Journal of Yulin College. 14 (4), 106-109.
[4]Gu,Y.Q. (1994). Vocabulary learning strategies and language learning outcomes. Paper presented at the International Language in Education Conference in Hong Kong.
[5]Gu,Y.Q.& Hu,G.W.(2003).Change in Vocabulary Learning Strategies, Vocabulary Size and English Achievement. In Q. F. Wen & L. F. Wang (Eds). The Empirical Studies on English Learning Strategies. Xi’an: Shaanxi Normal University Press.
[6]Harmer,J.(2003). How to Teach Vocabulary. Beijing: World Affairs Press.
[7]James,C.& Thomas,H. (2001). Second Language Vocabulary AcquisitionShanghai : Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press.
[8]Li, Li &Chen, Z.A. (2005). .Strategies, Styles And Attribution : Learning To Learn English . Shanghai:Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press.
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