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Chinese EFL University Students’ Use of Vocabulary Learning Strategies

Received: 8 October 2021     Accepted: 1 November 2021     Published: 10 November 2021
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Abstract

This study investigated into the types of vocabulary learning strategies (VLSs) employed by EFL university students. The VLSs questionnaire was conducted and the sampling in this study was 71 English major students with higher and lower educational levels in a Chinese university. The study discovered that the determination and cognitive strategies were frequently employed by students. They most frequently used written and visual repetition, rehearsed on words’ spellings and sounds, had meaning-oriented note-taking, memorised the fixed phrases and sentences, used bilingual dictionaries, guessed words’ meanings and understood words through Chinese equivalents. Students also learned to tell themselves to feel less stressed when learning vocabulary. Students mainly focused on getting words’ meanings and the mechanical strategies they used were associated with understanding. By contrast, social/affective and metacognitive strategies were the least frequently used. Also, memory strategies such as words’ grammatical forms and word association, were less often employed. Students with a higher educational level more often associated words and noticed their vocabulary learning progresses. Therefore, learning maturity had impact on students’ choices of VLSs. In these cases, it is suggested that students use more types of VLSs such as memory and metacognitive strategies. English teachers are suggested to have strategy instructions and guide students to learn vocabulary through group discussions in classes. Additionally, studying vocabulary incidentally through both intensive and extensive reading is recommended to be taken into consideration.

Published in International Journal of Language and Linguistics (Volume 9, Issue 6)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijll.20210906.12
Page(s) 279-289
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Vocabulary Learning Strategies (VLSs), Cognitive Strategies, Mechanical Strategies, Memory Strategies, Metacognitive Strategies

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    Sijing Fu. (2021). Chinese EFL University Students’ Use of Vocabulary Learning Strategies. International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 9(6), 279-289. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20210906.12

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    Sijing Fu. Chinese EFL University Students’ Use of Vocabulary Learning Strategies. Int. J. Lang. Linguist. 2021, 9(6), 279-289. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20210906.12

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    Sijing Fu. Chinese EFL University Students’ Use of Vocabulary Learning Strategies. Int J Lang Linguist. 2021;9(6):279-289. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20210906.12

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijll.20210906.12,
      author = {Sijing Fu},
      title = {Chinese EFL University Students’ Use of Vocabulary Learning Strategies},
      journal = {International Journal of Language and Linguistics},
      volume = {9},
      number = {6},
      pages = {279-289},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijll.20210906.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20210906.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijll.20210906.12},
      abstract = {This study investigated into the types of vocabulary learning strategies (VLSs) employed by EFL university students. The VLSs questionnaire was conducted and the sampling in this study was 71 English major students with higher and lower educational levels in a Chinese university. The study discovered that the determination and cognitive strategies were frequently employed by students. They most frequently used written and visual repetition, rehearsed on words’ spellings and sounds, had meaning-oriented note-taking, memorised the fixed phrases and sentences, used bilingual dictionaries, guessed words’ meanings and understood words through Chinese equivalents. Students also learned to tell themselves to feel less stressed when learning vocabulary. Students mainly focused on getting words’ meanings and the mechanical strategies they used were associated with understanding. By contrast, social/affective and metacognitive strategies were the least frequently used. Also, memory strategies such as words’ grammatical forms and word association, were less often employed. Students with a higher educational level more often associated words and noticed their vocabulary learning progresses. Therefore, learning maturity had impact on students’ choices of VLSs. In these cases, it is suggested that students use more types of VLSs such as memory and metacognitive strategies. English teachers are suggested to have strategy instructions and guide students to learn vocabulary through group discussions in classes. Additionally, studying vocabulary incidentally through both intensive and extensive reading is recommended to be taken into consideration.},
     year = {2021}
    }
    

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    AU  - Sijing Fu
    Y1  - 2021/11/10
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    T2  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
    JF  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
    JO  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
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    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20210906.12
    AB  - This study investigated into the types of vocabulary learning strategies (VLSs) employed by EFL university students. The VLSs questionnaire was conducted and the sampling in this study was 71 English major students with higher and lower educational levels in a Chinese university. The study discovered that the determination and cognitive strategies were frequently employed by students. They most frequently used written and visual repetition, rehearsed on words’ spellings and sounds, had meaning-oriented note-taking, memorised the fixed phrases and sentences, used bilingual dictionaries, guessed words’ meanings and understood words through Chinese equivalents. Students also learned to tell themselves to feel less stressed when learning vocabulary. Students mainly focused on getting words’ meanings and the mechanical strategies they used were associated with understanding. By contrast, social/affective and metacognitive strategies were the least frequently used. Also, memory strategies such as words’ grammatical forms and word association, were less often employed. Students with a higher educational level more often associated words and noticed their vocabulary learning progresses. Therefore, learning maturity had impact on students’ choices of VLSs. In these cases, it is suggested that students use more types of VLSs such as memory and metacognitive strategies. English teachers are suggested to have strategy instructions and guide students to learn vocabulary through group discussions in classes. Additionally, studying vocabulary incidentally through both intensive and extensive reading is recommended to be taken into consideration.
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Author Information
  • Department of Linguistics and Translation, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

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