A Study Of Senior High School Students’ English Vocabulary Learning Strategies

Vocabulary acquisition holds a very important position in English learning.Linguist M. McCarthy (1984) points out:“No matter how good one’s grammar is andhow beautiful one’s pronunciation is, but if one has no adequate vocabulary to expressone’s own feelings or to understand others’ opinions, one still cannot communicate withothers in this language”. Vocabulary is an important factor of the three majorcomponents (phonology, grammar, and vocabulary) that constitutes English language; itis the foundation of any kind of communication.A large number of researches have been made by language learners andlanguage teachers into it. From the previous researches, we know that strategies can beput into four categories: Metacognitive strategy, cognitive strategy, memory strategyand social strategy.The thesis reports a survey of vocabulary learning strategies used by240seniorhigh school students of Jiangjin No. Two Middle School. By questionnaire andinterviews it explores the four categories of vocabulary learning strategies used by thesampled students. The analyses of the data reveal:In General, the subjects use a variety of vocabulary learning strategies atmetacognitive, cognitive, memory and social levels. The frequency of the mostfrequently used strategies is: cognitive strategy>memory strategy (Table4.2). Thefrequency of the least frequently used strategies is: social strategy>memorystrategy>cognitive strategy> metacognitive strategy (Table4.3).Among all cognitive strategies, strategies of taking notes in high school class,using the vocabulary section in the textbook, paying attention to the spelling, using anE-dictionary, doing verbal repetition ranks highest. The strategy of paying attention tothe spelling is the most commonly used memory strategy among students. Theinfrequently used memory strategies include grouping words together within a storyline,using semantic maps, using ‘scale’ for gradable adjectives. The two cognitive strategiesconsidered as the least frequently used strategies are using a picture dictionary or athesaurus to facilitate their vocabulary acquisition. Metacognitive strategy involving media use, such as “Use the English-language Internet” is seldom used by the subjects.The least frequently used social strategy is “Ask an English teacher to check yourvocabulary cards or word lists for accuracy”. The other three least frequently used socialstrategies all involve cooperative learning with others to some degree.Lastly, this study suggests that teachers should try their best to know more aboutvocabulary learning strategy and try to find out the individual difference shown by theirstudents in English learning, and take some strategy instruction and training for learnersso as to help them use these strategies autonomously and properly in their languagelearning.