An investigation into the use of english vocabulary learning strategies of english majored students a study at bac lieu university

--- NGUYEN THI THANH TAM AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE USE OF ENGLISH VOCABULARY LEARNING STRATEGIES OF ENGLISH – MAJORED STUDENTS: A STUDY AT BAC LIEU UNIVERSITY Major: English Languag

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NGUYEN THI THANH TAM

AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE USE OF ENGLISH

VOCABULARY LEARNING STRATEGIES OF

ENGLISH – MAJORED STUDENTS: A STUDY AT

BAC LIEU UNIVERSITY

Major: English Language Course code: 1741900082

HO CHI MINH CITY ,October 2021

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AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE USE OF ENGLISH VOCABULARY LEARNING STRATEGIES OF ENGLISH – MAJORED STUDENTS: A STUDY AT

BAC LIEU UNIVERSITY

Submitted to the Faculty of English Language

in partial fulfillment of the Master’s degree in English Language

STUDENTS: A STUDY AT BAC LIEU UNIVERSITY was successfully

defended and approved on ……… at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HUTECH)

HCMC, October, 2021

MASTER’S THESIS REPORT

Student name: NGUYEN THI THANH TAM Sex: Female

I- Thesis title:

AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE USE OF ENGLISH VOCABULARY LEARNING STRATEGIES OF ENGLISH – MAJORED STUDENTS: A STUDY AT BAC LIEU UNIVERSITY

II-Objectives and contents:

The objectives of the study are:

+ The study will also try to find out whether the attitudes toward learning vocabulary of the English- majored students at BLU

+ To discover the extent to which those strategies are used by the students

+ The study will also try to find out whether the attitudes toward learning vocabulary of the English- majored students at BLU

IV- Completing date: April 1st, 2021

V- Academic supervisor: Dr LE VAN TUYEN

(Full name, signature) (Full name, signature)

CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY

I certify my authorship of the Master’s Thesis submitted today entitled:

VOCABULARY LEARNING STRATEGIES OF ENGLISH – MAJORED STUDENTS: A STUDY AT BAC LIEU UNIVERSITY in terms of the statement

of requirements for Thesis in Master’s programs issued by the Higher Degree Committee of Faculty of English Language, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology

Ho Chi Minh, October 2021

RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS

I hereby state that I, NGUYEN THI THANH TAM, being a candidate for the degree of Master of Arts in English Language accept the requirements of the University relating to the retention and use of Master’ Thesis deposited in the Library

In terms of these conditions, I agree that the original of my Master’s Thesis deposited in the Library should be accessible for purposes of study and research, in accordance with the normal conditions established by the Librarian for the care, loan, and reproduction for theses

Ho Chi Minh, October 2021 Signature………

NGUYEN THI THANH TAM

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

All those who positively supported and contributed to the success of my study, receive my gratitude First and foremost, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my supervisor, Dr Le Van Tuyen, for his constructive feedback, invaluable correction and advice His great support carried me through many challenges, enabled me to complete this study He has been a wonderful supervisor and I feel grateful for his supports His expertise and recommendations were a great source of inspiration

Secondly, I express my gratitude to all lecturers and staff of the Institute for Postgraduate and the Department of English Language in HUTECH for their valuable lessons and great help in my thesis preparation

Finally, I would like to thank some of the enthusiastic teachers from Foreign Language Division and English-majored students from Education Faculty at Bac Lieu University who helped me to provide and collect valuable data for the questionnaire and interview My work could not be done without the participation

of students at the university Also, my special thanks the management board of Education Faculty for willingly allowing me to conduct this study

ABSTRACT

English education has been considered as one of the most important tasks in the Vietnamese education system English is one of the main subjects at different levels of education including at tertiary level Vietnamese university students learn English for international communication in the global integration due to vocational purpose after graduating However, English - majored students, who are required to master English skills and knowledge, encounter challenges in learning English, especially English vocabulary This study, therefore, aimed to examine what attitudes English majored students at Bac Lieu University (BLU) have towards leaning English vocabulary and discover what strategies they used in learning English vocabulary

The study involved 80 English-majored students at BLU The questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were employed to collect both quantitative and qualitative data For analyzing the quantitative data collected from the questionnaire descriptive statistics was employed and for qualitative data, content analysis was employed The findings of the study revealed that the students had positive attitudes toward learning English as a foreign language The cognitive aspects represented the highest mean score (M= 3.36) Moreover, they employed strategies in learning English vocabulary to a moderate extent in terms of discovery and consolidation strategies The cognitive strategies was used the most (M=3.17) After that, metacognitive strategies as the second one frequently used The social strategies were used the least (M=2.8) It represented that the use of various vocabulary learning strategies was not very common among the students It is expected that the findings of the study would shed light on the existing knowledge of the field of study Moreover, the study also made several suggestions for both teachers and students to boost vocabulary English learning process at BLU to overcome issues as well as achieve better performance for English - majored students

Key words: English vocabulary learning, English-majored students, attitudes, strategies, tertiary level

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY i

RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii

ABSTRACT iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS v

LIST OF TABLES viii

LIST OF FIGURES ix

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS x

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Background to the study 1

1.2 Statement of the problem 2

1.3 Aims and objectives of the study 3

1.4 Research questions 4

1.5 Scope of study 4

1.6 Significance of the study 5

1.7 Definitions of the Key Terms 5

1.8 Organization of the thesis 6

CHAPTER 2 LITERATER REVIEW 8

2.1 Vocabulary acquisition 8

2.2 Learning vocabulary 9

2.2.1 Definitions of vocabulary 9

2.2.2 Learning vocabulary 9

2.2.2.1 Implicit/incidental vocabulary learning 9

2.2.2.2 Explicit/intentional vocabulary learning 10

2.3 Classifications of Vocabulary 11

2.3.1 Active and passive vocabulary 11

2.3.2 Concrete and abstract vocabulary 12

2.4 Language learning strategies 12

2.4.1 Defining language learning strategies 12

2.4.2 Role of learning strategies 13

2.4.3 Classification of learning strategies 13

2.5 Vocabulary learning strategies 15

2.5.1 Definition of vocabulary learning strategies 15

2.5.2 Classification of vocabulary learning strategies 16

2.5.3 Teaching vocabulary learning strategies to students 19

2.6 Attitudes towards learning English vocabulary 21

2.6.1 Definition of attitude 21

2.6.2 Importance of attitude 23

2.7 Previous studies 24

2.8 The conceptual framework of the study 30

CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY 33

3.1 Research design 33

3.2 Research site 34

3.3 Sample and sampling procedures 35

3.4 Research instruments 36

3.4.1 Questionnaire 36

3.4.2 Interviews 37

3.5 Data collection procedures 38

3.6 Data analysis procedures 39

3.7 Reliability and Validity 40

CHAPTER 4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS 42

4.1 Introduction 42

4.2 Results of the study 42

4.2.1 The extent of the use of strategies in vocabulary learning 42

4.2.1.1 Discovery strategies Determination strategies 42

4.2.1.2 Consolidation Strategies 45

4.2.2 Attitudes towards learning English vocabulary 51

4.3 Discussion 58

4.3.1 Strategies employed by students in learning English vocabulary 58

4.3.2 Students’ attitude towards vocabulary learning 60

CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION 61

5.1 Introduction 61

5.2 Summary of the results 61

5.3 Implications and Recommendation 62

5.4 Limitation of the study 63

5.5 Recommendation for further research 63

LIST OF REFERENCES 64

LIST OF TABLES

Table 2.1 Summary of Schmitt's VLS Taxonomy 19

Table 3.1 Demographic information of student participants 36

Table 3.2 Cronbach’s alpha values for the questionnaire 41

Table 4.1 Descriptive Statistics of Determination Strategies 43

Table 4.2 Descriptive statistics for social strategies 44

Table 4.3 Descriptive Statistics of Memory Strategies 45

The table 4.4 Descriptive Statistics of Cognitive Strategies 47

Table 4.5 The descriptive statistics of Metacognitive Strategies 48

Table 4.6 Descriptive Statistics of Social Strategies 49

Table 4.7 The summary of vocabulary learning strategies 50

Table 4.8 Descriptive Statistics of Behavioral Aspect of Attitude 51

Table 4.9 Descriptive Statistics of cognitive aspect of attitude 53

Table 4.10 Descriptive Statistics of emotional aspect of attitude 55

Table 4.11 Summary of attitudes towards learning English vocabulary 57

LIST OF FIGURES

Figures 1: Vocabulary Learning Strategies Classification 17Figure 2 : Factors related to vocabulary learning strategies (based on Schmitt, 1997) 32

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

L2: The second language

LLS: Language learning strategies

VLS: vocabulary learning strategies

BLU Bac Lieu University

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the study

It cannot be denied that English has become one of the dominating languages and the most spoken language in the globalization age Since then English has been considered one of the most important tools propelling the process of global integration in various areas such as education, business and regional cooperation Therefore, English has been chosen as the dominant foreign language in Vietnam The impact of English can be seen in the current Vietnamese educational system For instance, the government has concerned about curricular policy, and teaching and learning activities Many contests or competitions have been launched such as the Olympic English contest to endorse the importance of English English language

is considered as an important and compulsory subject at all schools (MOET, 2010) Besides, at tertiary level, students must complete different English courses, even some colleges and universities require their students to achieve international standardized English certificate such as TOEFLS or IELTS Nonetheless, learning English is not very easy Specially, learning English vocabulary is really hard for many Vietnamese students EFL teachers have striven their best to find out suitable solutions to better facilitate both teachers’ and students vocabulary teaching and learning process

In the process of learning and teaching a foreign language, vocabulary is considered as “the core or heart of language” (Lewis, 1993, p.89) In order to understand the other aspects of language such as reading, writing, and listening, it is

a prerequisite for learners to acquire vocabulary first In other words, vocabulary plays an essential role because it appears in every language skill Leny (2006) states that mastery of vocabulary will be useful for the process of achieving language-teaching objectives This clearly indicates that having sound knowledge of vocabulary facilitates the way for learners to become competent and effective language users

In fact, reading comprehension, writing and the language proficiency development of learner can be negatively affected by lack of vocabulary knowledge It has been identified that “vocabulary deficiencies as the biggest problem in mastering a second language” And the limit of vocabulary knowledge occurs to be “a problem across all skills area” (Folse, 2004, p.110; Meara, 1980) Hojati and Afghari (2013) state that problems of four skills are under the influence

of a number of linguistic and non-linguistic factors, such as grammar, vocabulary, pragmatic variables, and affective factors Students, therefore, have to prepare adequate vocabulary and accuracy in order to carry on meaningful communication (Hinkel, 2006) Lack of vocabulary may be one of the serious comprehension problems for students who could deal with reading strategies, such as guessing unknown lexical items, focusing the text in the reading ( Laufer – Dvokin, 1984) Obviously, vocabulary learning in the process of learning English is worth mentioning in the present study More specifically, vocabulary learning strategies should be investigated

1.2 Statement of the problem

Vocabulary knowledge is a cornerstone of the academic success and plays a crucial role in shaping students’ four English language skills Many EFL students, including the Vietnamese students, have difficulty in learning English vocabulary which is, in many cases, reflected in their poor communication, both verbally and in writing The problem that EFL students encounter is that they know that they need

to enrich their vocabulary stock tremendously; nonetheless, they may lack strategies that can help them to learn vocabulary successfully

BLU mostly attracts students from small districts and suburbs around Ca Mau Peninsula – the south of Vietnam Students do not have a chance to approach the modern educational system Therefore, they are still confused to adapt themselves to the new study environment Secondly, some traditional methods from high school may prevent students from developing their vocabulary learning strategies Many students just memorize new words mechanically and have no

systematic learning process of vocabulary Consequently, it is not easy for them to learn and acquire the meanings of new words, to memorize and recall them when they need, use them in appropriate situations, or expand the size of vocabulary

It is essential for teachers to have choice of appropriate methods and the ways they encourage interests, build confidence and motivation for students (Juyi, 2006) Being aware of how to help students in class, with reaction to their difficulties, the teacher can make them understand the significance of learning vocabulary What is more, English language teaching practices in the context of study have revealed that EFL teachers have had a tendency to use L1 to explain the meaning of new words rather than other teaching techniques

Researchers have conducted a variety of studies to investigate vocabulary learning and teaching strategies both in the international and Vietnamese context such as Sirivan (2007), Yu Wong(2014), Vasu and Dhanave (2015), Kulikova (2015), Eshghinejad (2016, Attapol (2010 ), Nguyen Thi Boi Hoang (2013), Bui Thi Trang (2019), Hoang Thi Hong Hanh (2019) However, no studies have been conducted at BLU That is why the current study attempts to investigate the vocabulary learning strategies used by English - majored students at BLU This in turns may inform EFL teachers, about the strength and weaknesses of their students when it comes to vocabulary learning strategies

1.3 Aims and objectives of the study

The aim of the current study is to investigate vocabulary learning strategies which are used by the English majors at BLU More specifically, the objectives of the study are:

+To discover the extent to which vocabulary learning strategies are used by the English-majored students

+ To find out the English- majored students’ attitudes towards learning English vocabulary

1.4 Research questions

This study aims to investigate vocabulary learning strategies employed by English-majored students in learning EFL at BLU The study attempts to address the following two research questions

1.4.1 To what extent do English-majored students at BLU

employ strategies in learning English vocabulary?

1.4.2 What are the English- majored students’ attitudes

towards learning English vocabulary at BLU?

1.5 Scope of study

Regarding learning English vocabulary, researchers can investigate a variety

of aspects such as problems in learning vocabulary, strategies of teaching vocabulary, types of vocabulary, and so on However, the current study focused on students’ attitudes towards learning vocabulary and the use of vocabulary learning strategies The title of this study only showed the investigation into the use of English vocabulary learning strategies without students’ attitudes towards learning vocabulary However, there are some reasons why the researcher selected investigating students’ attitude as the vital point in the study Improving students’ vocabulary learning strategies is influenced by many factors Among of those, the attitude has been identified as an important one Students will eventually be motivated to learn English vocabulary, both inside and outside the classroom, if they have the correct attitude towards learning vocabulary Because of reasons of working conditions and geography, instead of selecting several universities to take part in, this study was only conducted at BLU in Bac Lieu city Especially, the study invited the English-majored freshmen and sophomores at BLU The participants of the study were freshmen and sophomores who major in English studies These students took part in a survey and semi-structured interview about their problems in using vocabulary learning strategies The junior or seniors were not invited because in the freshmen and sophomore context, they simply present their issues rather than the formers They have difficulty for learning vocabulary

Hopefully, the results of the study will reflect the current situation of the English vocabulary learning at BLU

1.6 Significance of the study

The main purpose of the study is to investigate the use of strategies in learning vocabulary and students’ attitudes towards learning English vocabulary Practically, the result helped to raise awareness of both English language teachers and students at BLU about the importance of vocabulary learning strategies in acquiring English as a foreign language In addition, the result proved that success

in learning English not only depends on teachers and teaching but requires students’ effort, independence and responsibility Based on the results of the study, students learned how to use vocabulary learning strategies in their learning and their positive attitudes affected learning English vocabulary It is hoped that the outcome of this study will improve English-majored students’ understanding of the importance of English vocabulary learning strategies and their attitudes towards learning vocabulary The students will have the opportunity to self-assess their English vocabulary learning and gain appropriate remedial measures to overcome the identified issues Theoretically, it is expected that the results of the study will contribute to the existing knowledge of teaching and learning English vocabulary

1.7 Definitions of the Key Terms

Strategy is understanding an industry structure and dynamics, determining

the organization’s relative position in that industry, and taking action to either change the industry’s structure of the organization’s position to improve organizational results (Richard, 2001)

Learning strategy is an individual’s approach to complete a task More

specifically, it is an individual’s way of organizing and using a particular set of skills in order to learn content or accomplish other tasks more effectively and efficiently in school as well as in nonacademic settings (Schumaker & Deshler,1992)

English – majored student is a person following a course of study in

university is major in English (Houghton, M , 2010)

Attitude is considered as an important concept to understand human

behavior and is defined as a mental state includes beliefs and feelings (Latchanna,

G & Dagnew, A, 2009)

1.8 Organization of the thesis

This thesis consists of 5 chapters as follows:

Chapter 1: Introduction

This chapter provides an overview for the thesis which set a general context

of the study There are eight sections in this chapter, namely Background to the study; Statement of the problem; Aims and objectives of the study; Research questions; Scope of the study; Significance of the study; Definitions of the key terms and Organization of the thesis

Chapter 2: Literature review

This chapter indicates the primary concepts regarding the vocabulary learning strategies including its definition, characteristics, and importance theoretical background of some previous studies Also, previous studies and the conceptual framework of the study are included in this chapter

Chapter 3: Research Methodology

This chapter presents the research methods that were employed to conduct the study This chapter access into detailed and carefully designed methods of collecting, analyzing and illustrating the data to answer the research questions Questionnaire and semi-structured interview are the main research instruments This chapter includes Research design, Instruments, Data collection and analysis procedure

Chapter 4: Results and Discussions

This chapter presents the findings and discussion of the study related to two research questions The findings of research question 1 are presented first, then the

findings of research question 2 are presented Finally, discussion of the findings is provided

Chapter 5: Conclusion

This chapter comprises a summary of the findings, implications and

limitations; and finally, recommendation for further research is provided

CHAPTER 2 LITERATER REVIEW

Vocabulary size is explained variously over the past decades Environment factors, socio-economic status and cultural background of the parents influence on children’s vocabulary growth (Richards et al., 2009) Moreover, the vocabulary competences are correlated with reading skills or reading comprehension Ravid and Tolchinsky (2002) who view acquisition of literacy-related forms of language as being intimately related to skilled reading In Ravid’s theory in 2006, it was demonstrated that in adolescence children progressively use more abstract noun, a semantic type that is more commonly found in expository than narrative texts and in written than spoken narratives

The growth of children’s vocabulary and language is through conversations which occur during the day Connor, Morrison and Petrella (2004) determined that children can interact with their classroom experiences, their language and literacy- related activities In the instructional activities, teachers facilitated such as oral reading, listening comprehension, vocabulary instruction, questioning and elicitation of explanation that led to increase children independence ability in comprehending text and greater literacy understanding (Hansen, 2004) According

to Gui (2015), researchers explore that certain tasks for second language vocabulary

acquisition more effective than others Language teachers need develop and deploy appropriate learning tasks to promote successfully vocabulary learning among language learners

2.2 Learning vocabulary

2.2.1 Definitions of vocabulary

Vocabulary has been defined variously by different researchers Vocabulary

is defined as individual words which could be taught and used in isolation (Schmitt

& Cele Murcia, 2002) In addition, vocabulary has both print and speech forms It

can be defined as '' words we must know to communicate effectively; words in speaking (expressive vocabulary) and words in listening (receptive vocabulary)'' (Neuman & Dwyer, 2009, p 385) While Ur (1998) states: “Vocabulary can be defined, roughly, as the words we teach in the foreign language She also suggested that “a new item of vocabulary may be more than a single word, a compound of two

or three words (e.g., post office, mother-in-law), and multi-word idioms (e.g., call it

a day)”

As discussed above, vocabulary can be seen in many different ways Vocabulary refers to words or a set of words in a language or knowledge of words regarding its forms, meanings and how to use it accurately in the context

2.2.2 Learning vocabulary

There are two general ways in which learners learn vocabulary: the implicit/incidental vocabulary learning and the explicit/intentional vocabulary learning This section concentrates on learning approaches that language learners can make use of to decode for themselves the meanings of words, using both direct and indirect vocabulary learning

2.2.2.1 Implicit/incidental vocabulary learning

Definition of implicit learning originates in the field of psychology Ellis (1994) brings to the attention of the discussion on the implicit dimension the importance of conscious operations Ellis states that “acquisition of knowledge

about the underlying structure of a complex stimulus environment by a process which takes place naturally, simply and without conscious operation”

A result of exposure to comprehensible input is shown by the implicit vocabulary learning hypothesis There are the positive correlation between the amount of the reading and the lexical size of the readers It is important to note that all that but several of studies Krasen (1989) review involves native speakers rather than second language learners He states that “research that positively support Krasen’s claim as regard second language vocabulary acquisition is still very limited” (Coady, 1997, p.226)

Implicit vocabulary learning occurs when the mind is concentrated elsewhere For example, the new words can be learnt on comprehending a written text or understanding spoken material Therefore, vocabulary should be put in context rich enough to give clues to meaning and that learners should be given multiple exposure to items they are supposed to learn (Nation 1990)

2.2.2.2 Explicit/intentional vocabulary learning

An explicit vocabulary learning hypothesis holds that vocabulary acquisition must involve in a certain amount of consciousness The learners notice novel vocabulary, selectively attend to it, and use a variety of strategies to trying to infer its meaning (Gass, 1999; Schmidt, 1990)

Explicit vocabulary learning supports learners focusing attention primarily

on vocabulary in activities A few primary principles that offer assistance instructors in choosing questions of what to instruct and how to teach incorporate joining unused vocabulary with old, encouraging imaging, employing a variety of procedures, giving a number of experiences with a word, encouraging autonomous learning strategies, and advancing a profound level of processing (Sokmen, 1997) Moreover, the importance of explicit learning with a deep level of processing is to transfer information from short-term memory to long-term memory, which has a huge storage capacity Therefore, the more learners manipulate about a word, the more that word will transferred into long – term memory

2.3 Classifications of Vocabulary

2.3.1 Active and passive vocabulary

Vocabulary can be classified into two groups They are active vocabulary and passive vocabulary (Doff, 1988; Sriyulianti, 2011) Active vocabulary can be defined by different researchers Mallikajun (2002) states that the active vocabulary

is the one that is learned exceptionally intensively with regard to create meaning and use in such a way that the learner will be able to use it in four skill namely listening, speaking, reading, and writing In addition, active vocabulary refers to items the learner can use appropriately in speaking or writing and it is also called as productive vocabulary (Leny, 2006) Besides, Child (1973) also states that the number of words we actually use is considered as active vocabulary Moreover, Doff (1988) defined active vocabulary as “words with students will need to understand and also use themselves.” (p.19) Active vocabulary refers to the words students can understand, pronounce correctly and use them constructively in speaking and writing (Manikam, 2009) In other words, active vocabulary refers to vocabulary that students have been taught or learnt – and which they are expected to

be able to use (Akarsu, 2009)

Regarding passive vocabulary, Doff (1988) states that the passive vocabulary

is the one that is understood by students in a spoken or written context, but the student cannot reproduce the same on his own However, according to a language item that can be recognized and understood in the context of reading or listening and also called as receptive vocabulary Moreover, according to Child (1973), the larger number of the words we are able to understand is considered as passive vocabulary In addition, passive vocabulary can also be characterized as words which we want student to understand when reading a text, but they will not need to use those words (Doff, 1988, p.19) Furthermore, Manikam (2009) states that passive vocabulary consists of words which students recognize and understand when they occur in a context and they never use them in communication They understand them when they hear or read them, but they do not use them in speaking

and writing Passive vocabulary is also very useful for receptive skills such as reading and listening because passive vocabulary consists of the words comprehended by the people when they read and listen (Leny, 2006)

2.3.2 Concrete and abstract vocabulary

Language vocabulary can be divided into two distinct categories: concrete and abstract vocabulary According to West and Holcomb (2000), concrete words are words that “refer to specific objects or events, e.g., bicycle” (p.1024) Moreover, concrete words are specific words that refer to definite person, place and things (Gouet, 2007) On the other hand, abstract words are low-imagery words because they are difficult to associate with a visual image (Heltai, 1996) Moreover, abstract words “refer to more general and/or complex concepts, e.g., honesty” (West

& Holcomb, 2000) In addition, according to Mallikarjum (2002), new words items implementing to the substance like adore, soul, and fear can be called abstract vocabulary This is because these concepts cannot be physically perceived People need to use their imagination to sense them mentally

2.4 Language learning strategies

2.4.1 Defining language learning strategies

Language learning strategies (LLS) have been recognized as very important processes when learning a second or a foreign language LLS are specific actions, behaviours, steps or techniques that students use to improve their progress in developing second language (L2) skills (Oxford, 1990) These strategies can facilitate the internalization, storage, retrieval or use of the new language Strategies are tools for the self – directed involvement necessary for developing communicative ability Oxford also stated that language learning strategies allow learners to become more self-directed, expand the role of language teachers and involve many aspects not just the cognitive

In addition, Ellis (1985) defines learning strategies as how learners accumulate new L2 rules and how they automate existing ones This process can be

conscious or subconscious He further explains it as the mental processes of acquiring and using the L2 (Ellis 1985) They are the techniques, approaches, methods, or intentional actions learners take to fully acquire the target language Moreover, Chamot & Kupper (1989) defined LLS as “techniques which students use to comprehend, store, and remember information and skills” (p 9)

2.4.2 Role of learning strategies

An important contribution that learners make to the acquisition a second language is their use of learning strategies Therefore, the role of learning strategies

is very important Breen (2014) stated that two major reasons support the importance of learning strategies Firstly, investigating the strategies used by second language learners during the language learning process, we gain insights into the cognitive, social and affective processes involved in language learning These insights proved that they relate to second language acquisition and they can help us understand the mental process Secondly, it may be possible to teach less successful language learners to use the strategies that characterize their more successful peers, thus helping students who are experiencing difficulty in learning a second language become betters language learners Therefore, to identify and compare more and less successful language learners we use learning strategies; and learning strategies provide useful instruction to less successful language that helps them become more successful in their study According to Dembo (2004) “learning strategies are the methods students use to acquire information” Zimmerman and Martinez-Pons (1988) stated that higher achieving students use more learning strategies than do lower achieving students

2.4.3 Classification of learning strategies

So far different researchers and linguists have classified learning strategies in several different ways According to Oxford (1990), learning strategies are divided into two groups: direct and indirect strategies Direct strategies conclude memory (remembering language), cognitive (thinking about learning) and compensation

strategies (making up for limited knowledge) These strategies were applied in four language skills and the result became very useful Secondly, indirect strategies consist of metacognitive (managing own learning), social (learning by interaction with others) and affective strategies (feelings) After being used in four language skills, they provide a rich and powerful support to any language learning efforts

One of the first researchers investigating vocabulary learning strategies (VLS), Schmitt (1997) contributed his data to VLS taxonomy, he extracted them from Oxford’s (1990) classification of general learning strategies and their categorization into five main categories: Determination (referring to the strategies

an individual uses), Social (involving cooperation with others), Memory (involving relating the new word with some previously learned knowledge), Cognitive (referring to language manipulation or transformation) and Metacognitive strategies (used to control the learning process)

In Stern’s (1975) study, learning strategies are identified including: planning strategy; active strategy; empathic strategy; formal strategy; experimental strategy; semantic strategy; practice strategy; communication strategy; monitoring strategy; internalization strategy

In Wenden’s (1991) research, learning strategies are proposed two main kinds: cognitive strategies (select information, comprehend, store and retrieve information) and self-management strategies (monitor or manage learning process

or self-directed learning skills)

According to Oxford (1992/3, p 20) there are five categories of learning strategies Those are based the behaviors of successful language learners, psychological functions, linguistic aspects, language skills or knowledge and different types of learners Nevertheless, the most popular and widest strategies are cognitive, metacognitive, social and affective (Visnja, 2008)

In Schmitt’s (1997) research, his research is developed based on the extensive language learning strategies’ taxonomy written by Oxford (1990, pp.17-21), he divides the strategies in his taxonomy into two major classes which

classified six sub- strategies: discovery strategies with determination and social strategies (focus on working others as teachers and classmate) and consolidation strategies including : social strategies ( maintain working others such as studying and practicing in a group or communicating), memory strategies, cognitive strategies, metacognitive strategies

There are many ways to classify learning strategies, some researchers hope that these learning strategies to motivate the language learners understand, produce new language and increase language knowledge

2.5 Vocabulary learning strategies

2.5.1 Definition of vocabulary learning strategies

VLS implies any devices, apparatuses or procedures used by the language learners to hold their vocabulary effortlessly Nation (1990) states that most of language learners’ issues in both responsive and productive usage of vocabulary develop from their deficiently learning of lexical information VLSs must contain strategies for learning a word, in expansion to employing a word Hedge (2000) proposes that in expansion to the teachers’ clarification of the vocabulary to students, one of their primary significant parts is to progress autonomy among learners by educating those compelling techniques Appropriately, VLS are open to instruction, that dialect learners can be instructed different kinds of VLSs and how

to hone them effectively Therefore, language learners ought to be recognizable with a variety of VLS and recognized with a determination of VLS and are instructed how to utilize them to construct their lexicon or to resolve the issues they face in learning lexicon successfully

Vocabulary learning strategies (VLS) which are efficient strategies are needed to enhance learners’ vocabulary VLS are what learners “ do to find out the meaning the new words, retain them in long – term memory, recall them when needed in comprehension, and use them in language production” ( Jurkovic, 2006,p.25) It is useful and necessary for language learners to be taught VLSs so

that they can learn how to recognize the meaning of new words, how to use them by practicing and expanding their vocabulary Chamot (1999,p.1), Oxford( 1990,p.1); Williams and Burden (1997,p.145) state that strategies are essential tools for developing communicative competence Therefore, learners can improve proficiency and greater self – confident when having appropriate VLS It is difficult

to all learners to study and acquire the meanings of the new words put them at will,

to use effectively in context Thus, in order to learn vocabulary successfully and become self – directed learners of vocabulary, they must be taught and trained various kinds of vocabulary learning strategies

In the language classroom VLS instructed likely build learners’ confidence to memorize lexicon independently In order to deal with vocabulary when it occurs and be effective and autonomous dialect learners, Harmer (1991) expressed that language learners ought to be familiarized with extensive kinds of strategies, which is useful since they become able to choose the type of techniques that are appropriate to their individual learning styles LLS make a better self-direction for dialect learners Oxford (1990) pointed that independent language learners are self-directed learners, who have the duty for their learning procedures and continuously get confidence and capability Schmitt (1997) announced that learners are widely inclined to utilize essential VLS This in turn makes VLS instruction an critical part of foreign Language instructors require a great information of VLS that may well be valuable to arrange their teaching more effectively and guide learners in receiving successful procedures Therefore, training in the VLS is necessary for language learners

self-2.5.2 Classification of vocabulary learning strategies

The classification of VLSs which are proposed by many different researchers

is wide The strategies below are based on Schmitt’s (1997) taxonomy Schmitt (1997) investigated many learning strategies altogether in his own classification of VLSs His research is developed based on the extensive language learning strategies’ taxonomy written by Oxford (1990, pp.17-21), including Memory,

Social, Affective, Compensation, Metacognitive, and Cognitive categories The following diagram analyzes the VLSs offered by Schmitt (1997):

Source: (Schimit,1997)

Figures 1: Vocabulary Learning Strategies Classification

According to the diagram, Schmitt divides the strategies in his taxonomy into two major classes which classified six sub-strategies:

1) Discovery strategies referring to strategies for gaining initial information new word It has 2 sub-strategies: determined strategies and social strategies; Determination strategies are used for the discovery of a new word’s meaning guessed with the help of contest, dictionary They involve analyzing a new word without recourse to another person’s expertise (Schmitt, 1997,p.205) It analyzes the part of speech, roots and affixes, any available pictures or gestures, checks language cognate, guesses meaning in the context or uses a dictionary to find out meaning a certain word; and social strategies focus on working others as teachers and classmate These are applied to inquire instructor for a synonym, summarizing, or L1 interpretation of vocabulary; inquire classmate for the meaning

Consolidation strategies

Vocabulary learning

strategies

Discovery strategies

2) Consolidation strategies for consolidating a word once it has been encountered It has four sub-strategies: social strategies, memory strategies,

cognitive strategies, and metacognitive strategies; a) Social strategies maintaining

working others such as studying and practicing in a group or communicating with native speakers develop one’s vocabulary They are use of techniques learners to facilitate interaction, conducted by asking question, developing cultural understandings and cooperation with others in the learning process (Oxford, 1990) Some examples of these strategies to enhance vocabulary are learning by group work in class or learners ask teachers, friends for classification of meaning, synonym or translation Leaning by working group could promote “active

processing of information and cross model” (Schmitt, 1997, p.211); b) Memory strategies that are learners use to intrude on new information into memory storage,

to be found when required for communication (Oxford, 1996) Some of examples of learners study vocabulary by connecting word to a previous personal experience or connecting the word in its synonyms and antonyms, using semantic maps, using keyword method, using semantic maps, gathering words together to study them, examining the spelling of a word, saying new word out loud when considering;

using physical activity when learning a word; c) Cognitive Strategies are technique

learners use to link new information with existing schemata, to analyze and classify

it (Oxford, 1990) They focus on the mechanical aspects vocabulary learning like keeping the vocabulary notebook, putting English labels on physical objects vocabulary or vocabulary is studied by verbal repetition and written repetition Wu’s (2005) study indicated that some Taiwanese teachers and students were traditional methods of role learning such as memorizing word and grammatical forms of the words in word list In contrast, some other study (Gu & Jonhson, 1996) determined that students using word list like flashcards are not effective and they

did not use cognitive strategies often; and d) Metacognitive strategies are

characterized as a conscious outline of the learning process and they help students

to control, arrange, monitors and earners evaluate their study so that they can

improve efficiently These strategies include studying as to use English-language media (e.g songs, movies, newscasts, etc.) They are the goal setting and vocabulary-selection strategies, and self-initiation strategies to evaluate and monitor personal vocabulary process (Gu & Jonhson, 1998)

Table 2.1 Summary of Schmitt's VLS Taxonomy VOCABULARY

LEARNING

Determination e.g guess from textual

2.5.3 Teaching vocabulary learning strategies to students

There are so many different variables that influence second language acquisition such as native language, age, motivation, culture and instruction (Richart & Lockhart,2000) Thus, teaching vocabulary learning strategy to students plays a very important role to improve the ability of students’ vocabulary learning Strategy instruction presents that “highly creative, multilevel process for teaching students to optimize their learning strategies for themselves as individuals” (Oxford

& Leaver, 1996, p 228) The strategy itself is neutral, it means that its effectiveness depends on how it used and what in context In other word, using good strategies cannot be benefited by poor learners (Nyikos,1991;Oxford,1993; Oxford & Cohen,2004) According to Nyikos (1991), “less successful students often are already using several strategies well-suited to their own learning style, but many apply them haphazardly” (p 32) For instance, the learners do not know how to use VLS effectively, they tend to make incorrect and unnecessary inferences using their prior knowledge (Williams, 1993) It is difficult to enhance vocabulary learning when only using simply students’ knowing Therefore, using strategies is very important to learn vocabulary Pressley (2000) emphasized the importance of instruction because it will ultimately influence whether a student can read and comprehend what is in the text

There are two main ways to teach a strategy that are explicit and implicit approaches According to Luke (2014), explicit instruction refers to teacher‐centered instruction that is focused on clear behavioral and cognitive goals and outcomes By explicit instruction, teachers mean teaching where the instructor clearly outlines what the learning goals are for the learners, and offers clear, unambiguous explanations of the skills and information structures they are presenting That is the way teachers use to explain directly to help learners acquire the language accurately In direct instruction, students are informed of the value and purpose of strategy training, whereas in implicit instruction, students are presented with activities and materials structured to elicit the use of the strategies being taught but are not informed of the reasons why this approach to learning is being practiced Early research on training learning strategies following the embedded approach

found little transfer of training to new tasks (O'Malley & Chamot,1990).Teachers’

aim is their learners can find out the insight of learning, they will use indirect ways

so that the learners can combine the lesson with their real situation

However, strategies should be taught explicitly and directly because direct explanation is the most successful instruction in teaching strategies (Graham and

Harris, 2000; Pressley et al., 1992) The effectiveness of implicit strategy instruction

is also supported in terms of helping students reinforce their strategic awareness (Griffiths, 2003)

According to explicit instruction, there are two ideas teaching strategies (Ikeda & Takeuchi, 2003): One is an intensive instruction of strategies (e.g.,teaching a strategy at the beginning of every class), and the other is integrative (e.g.,teaching a strategy throughout the class activities) Oxford (1989) and Wenden (1986) found the integrative method to be more effective than the intensive method Pressley et al (1992) also found that the integrative method was effective in helping the students use reading strategies naturally

Winograd and Hare (1988) give five recommendations that teachers should use to apply strategy instruction successfully Firstly, teachers explain the strategy

to be covered in the lesson Secondly, they can describe the importance and benefits

of using the strategy Thirdly, instructors model how to use the strategy Fourthly, they highlight when and where to use the strategy The lastly, teachers can show students how they can assess whether they are using the strategy successfully or unsuccessfully To sum up, teaching vocabulary learning strategy to student’s help learners choose appropriate and apply more effectively VLS Hamp – Lyon (1985) and Kern (1989) contrasted two different groups and found that a group that followed the strategy taught by teacher did better than the one that did not follow this strategy instruction

2.6 Attitudes towards learning English vocabulary

2.6.1 Definition of attitude

Many factors influence effective learning English vocabulary Among of those, attitude is one of the important factors to improve student's learning outcomes Like several other behavioral components, attitude is among the most crucial features of one’s character It includes psychological, emotional, and also behavioral aspects Some definitions of the term attitude are presented to evaluate

the students’ attitude

Attitude is the primary concept of social psychology Attitudes toward language are the feelings about one’s language and the language of the others (Crytal, 1997) Language attitude can clarify linguistic behavior In addition, Gardner (1985) stated that attitude is linked individual’s belief and an evaluative person It promotes or discourages the choices that are made in real activity, event informal or academic

According to Baker ( 1992), the attitudes of people toward the language have

an influence on the preservation, restoration or death in the life of the language In addition, the language learners should recognize that high motivation and students' positive facilitates second language learning Therefore, the learners will convert negative attitudes in language learning if this learner is interested in acquiring the target language to communicate with others

According to Brown ( 1987), the impacts of students' attitudes towards learning English vocabulary It includes parents' and peer's attitudes toward English; communication with English speakers and their experiences; unpleasant experience with English speakers and cultural attitude

In addition, the finding is showed that positive attitudes toward learning yield positive results (Wang, 2010) According to Brown (2000) reviewed attitudes shaping language learning He showed that positive attitudes towards target language tend to results in positive results from a failure in language learning ( Karahan, 2007)

2.6.2 The aspects of attitude

The attitude concept can be seen from three measurements with respect to aspects of it Each one of these measurements has different features to bring out dialect state of mind results, i.e behavioral, cognitive, and effective These three attitudinal aspects are based on the three hypothetical approaches of behaviorism, cognitivism, and humanism, individually

The behavioral aspect of attitude handles the way one behaves as well as

reacts particularly circumstances Kara (2009) mentioned that a positive attitude brings about the exhibition of positive behavior toward studying, absorbing themselves in it, and striving to learn more Such students are additionally observed

to show more even more excitement to solve problems, to get what is useful for daily life, as well as to engage themselves emotionally

The cognitive aspect of attitude includes the beliefs of the language learners about the knowledge that they get and their understanding of the method of language learning The cognitive attitude can be classified into four steps of connecting the previous knowledge and the new one, making new knowledge, checking new knowledge, and applying the new one in numerous circumstances

With respect to the emotional attitude, Feng as well as Chen (2009) mentioned that "Learning process is an emotional process It is affected by different emotional factors The teacher and his students engage in various emotional activities in it and varied results of emotions are yield" Because attitude is among the crucial variables for success in language learning, various research studies have actually been carried out in the field of language attitude Moreover, language attitude research has been considered in the previous 50 years due to the growing relationship between the importance of language use and also the nature of individuals (Saidat, 2010)

2.6.2 Importance of attitude

According to definitions of attitude, it is showed that the importance of attitude is not deniable because attitudes cannot be separated from study (Reid, 2003) Attitude is regarded as an important factor in comprehending human behavior and is defined as a mental state includes beliefs and feelings (Latchanna,

G & Dagnew, A, 2009) It is considered as a key factor impact on language performance (Visser,2008) Accomplishment in a target language depends not as it were on mental capacity, but moreover on the learner’s attitude towards dialect learning This implies that learning language ought to be drawn nearer fundamentally as a social and mental marvel instead of as an absolutely academic

one

The students‟ attitudes toward learning vocabulary play a key role in enhancing and motivating their performances in learning English Students have their attitude towards learning vocabulary Baker (1992, p 10) claims that “attitude

is a hypothetical construct used to explain the direction and persistence of human behavior” Furthermore, Eshghinejad (2016) assumes that attitude is often seen as

an important part affecting language accomplishment From the definitions, the writer concluded that attitude is individual’s response to ideas, objects, or situations which has influence to language performance In connection with students’ attitude towards the importance of learning vocabulary, it can be favorable (positive) or unfavorable (negative)

In conclusion, In conclusion, the three aspects of attitude, including cognitive, emotional and behavioral have been the subject of several research The

"cognitive" component refers to any information, fact, or knowledge relevant to an attitudinal subject, which includes a language's thoughts, beliefs, and values Component "emotional" or "feelings" comments (positive or negative) about the language (Baker, 1992; Rajecki, 1982) The third component is "behavior," which refers to a behavioral intention or the action can be done (possible acts) for the language (Rajecki, 1982) This research is also based on three components of attitude Ellis (1994) claims that learners' attitudes have been identified as a key factor in learning outcomes Positive and negative attitudes are the two types of attitudes concerned with the study's finding A student who has a positive attitude towards learning English vocabulary will attempt to do well in the classroom and study hard Negative attitudes, on the other hand, can stymie English vocabulary learning

Taiwan was entitled “an Investigation into Vocabulary Learning Strategies Used by Senior High school Students in Taiwan” by Yeh and Wang (2004) with the

participation of 271 senior high school students Two research instruments such as the questionnaire and interview were employed for collecting data The results of the study revealed that cognitive strategies were the most frequently used strategies while social strategies were the least frequently used; rote repetition was the most strategy used and the least used strategies were related to the used of study aids, social learning, and dictionaries Good and poor learners had differences in strategies use Good learners focused on learning new words in context and favored verbal repetition; in contrast poor learners concentrated on learning words in isolation and tended written repetition

Another study was conducted by Siriwan (2007) to investigate English VLS Siriwan conducted this study at the Rajabhat University in Thailand, which was

entitled English Vocabulary Learning Strategies Employed by Rajabha University

The study aimed to determine three folds: 1) to investigate and describe types of vocabulary learning strategies which Rajabhat University students reported employing so that they deal with their vocabulary learning; 2) to explore the variations in frequency of students’ reported strategy following to gender, major field of study, previous language learning experience, type of academic programs of study, and level

of vocabulary proficiency; and 3) to examine the relationships between frequency of students’ reported strategy use and the five independent variables The participants consisted of 1,481 undergraduate students studying at 12 Rajabhat Universities in academic year 2006 The data was collected by using semi-structured interviews and questionnaire The findings revealed three main points: the meaning of new vocabulary items was discovered, the retention of the knowledge of newly learned vocabulary item was explored and the knowledge of vocabulary was expanded Moreover, the findings demonstrated that it was different for frequency students’ overall to report use of strategies according to the examined

variables The results showed that seven factors were found strongly related to four examined variables

In addition, the study EFL Students’ Attitudes towards Learning English Language: The Case of Libyan Secondary School Students carries out by Abidin (

2012) The participants consist 180 secondary school’s students from three specializations of Basic Sciences, Life Sciences, and Social Sciences The data was collected by questionnaire The study aimed to investigate three aspect namely the behavioral, cognitive and emotional aspects of attitudes towards learning English language In addition, based on students’ demographic profiles gender, field and year of study, the second purpose of the study explored the significant difference in the students’ attitudes towards English language The findings revealed some main points: student had the negative attitudes towards learning English, they have just considered as compulsory subject Based on the result, EFL teachers at secondary school could respect about feelings, beliefs of students and their behaviors before the cognitive abilities They gave some effective activities to build up students’ attitudes towards learning English

One more study was conducted in Australia The study named a Case study

of Vocabulary Learning Strategies Use of twenty Chinese ESL Learners in Australia of the researcher Wong (2014) The study’s purpose was to examine what

implications these have for ESL learning and teaching Participants were students from different batches of ESL graduates from an Australia English Institute before they commenced university studies in Australia The instruments used to collect data were questionnaire, interview and reading vocabulary task The analysis data used both qualitative and quantitative analysis The findings indicated that indirect influence of learners’ previous English vocabulary learning on their language skill development It also examined that ESL pedagogies incorporate metacognitive strategy instruction to develop learners skills, develop vocabulary lesson materials, encourage learner to read English books instead of only textbook, utilize modern technology like computer to enhance learners’ vocabulary learning