The Frequency of Overall Strategy Use and Each Strategy Category
Use
The overall mean of participants’ vocabulary learning use is presented in table 5.
In terms of Oxford (1990, p.300), a mean between the range 3.5-5.0 on an item
belongs to high frequency use of the strategy, 2.5-3.4 medium frequency use, and
1.0-2.4 low frequency use. The mean of overall strategy is 3.11. Hence, it shows that
the participants are moderate user of vocabulary learning strategy and they don’t use
strategies very frequently. Of five main strategies, social strategy (M= 3.21) ranks
first. Determination strategy (M= 3.20) ranks second, cognitive strategy (M= 3.08)
ranked third, memory strategy (M= 3.05) ranks fourth and metacognitive strategy
(M= 3.02) ranks fifth. However, of the ten frequently used strategies, there is only one
social strategy. In contrast, there are five memory strategies in the ten most frequently
used strategies. That is because some items in memory strategy category which are
Strategy Category
N
Mean
SD
Rank Order
the ten least used strategies mark down the overall mean. Consequently, although
social strategy ranks first, it doesn’t mean that they are the most frequently used
strategies. The results mean that social strategy is employed averagely.
Table 5
The Frequency of Overall Strategy Use
1. Determination strategy
34
3.20
1.36
2
2. Social strategy
3. Memory strategy
4. Cognitive strategy
5. Metacognitive strategy
34
34
34
34
3.21
3.05
3.08
3.02
1.20
1.25
1.48
1.29
1
4
3
5
Overall Strategy
34
3.11
1.32
Note: N means the number of the valid responses
The Frequency of Determination Strategy Use
Strategy Item
N
Mean
SD
Rank Order
There are eight items belong to determination strategy shown in table 6
Only item 4 <Guess from textual context> (M=3.71) is considered to be high
frequency use. Six strategies are considered to be medium frequency us. They are
item 8 <Word lists> (M=3.03), item 5 <Bilingual dictionary> (M=3.09), item 2
<Analyze affixes and roots> (M=3.26), item7 <Electronic dictionary> (M=3.26).
item3 <Analyze any available pictures or gestures> (M=3.35), and item 1 <Analyze
part of speech> (M=3.47). Only item 6 < monolingual dictionary> (M=2.41) is
considered to be low frequency use. The finding indicates that participants prefer to
guess from textual context when discovering a new word’s meaning. Nevertheless,
they use monolingual dictionary less frequently.
Table 6
The Average Frequency of Each Determination Strategy Use
1. Analyze part of speech
34
3.47
1.33
2
2. Analyze affixes and roots
3. Analyze any available pictures
or gestures
4. Guess from textual context
5. Bilingual dictionary
6. Monolingual dictionary
7. Electronic dictionary
8. Word lists
34
34
3.26
3.35
1.40
1.25
4
3
34
34
34
34
34
3.71
3.09
2.41
3.26
3.03
1.17
1.46
1.35
1.50
1.42
1
6
8
5
7
Note: N means the number of the valid responses
The Frequency of Social Strategy Use
There are eight items belong to determination strategy shown in table 7.
Only item 14 <Discover new meaning through group work activity> (M=3.59)
belongs to high frequency use. The rest of strategies belong to medium frequency
use. They are item 12 <Ask teacher for a sentence including the new word>
(M=2.65), item 16 <Interact with native-speakers> (M=2.97), item 9 “Flash cards or
posters> (M=3.09), item15 <Study and practice meaning in a group> (M=3.21), item
11 <Ask teacher for paraphrase or synonym of new word> (M=3.35), item 13 <Ask
classmates for meaning> (M=3.41), and item 10 <Ask teacher for an L1 translation>
(M=3.44). The finding presents that although the most social strategies belong to
medium frequency use, compared to other social strategies, item 12 <Ask teacher for
a sentence including the new word> (M=2.65) and item 16 <Interact with
native-speakers> (M=2.97) are less used by students. However, the participants have
preference for discovering new meanings through group work activity.
Table 7
The Average Frequency of Each Social Strategy Use
Strategy Item
9. Flash cards or posters
10. Ask teacher for an L1 translation
N
Mean
SD
Rank Order
34
34
3.09
3.44
1.26
1.31
6
2
11. Ask teacher for paraphrase or
synonym of new word
12. Ask teacher for a sentence
including the new word
13. Ask classmates for meaning
14. Discover new meaning through
group work activity
15. Study and practice meaning in a
Strategy Item
group
17. Study word with a pictorial
16. Interact with native-speakers
34
3.35
1.20
4
34
2.65
1.07
8
34
34
3.41
3.59
1.13
1.23
3
1
34
34
N
3.21
1.32
Mean
SD
5
Rank Order
34
2.71
1.47
2.97
1.11
17
7
Note: N means the number of the valid responses
The Frequency of Memory Strategy Use
Of the twenty-three memory strategies, as shown in table 8, five strategies are
considered to be high frequency use. They are item 29 <Study the spelling of a word>
(M=4.15), item30 <Study the sound of a word> (M=3.76), item23 <Use ‘scales’ for
gradable adjectives> (M=3.56), item 31 <Say new word aloud when studying>
(M=3.53), and item 36 <Part of speech (remembering)> (M=3.53). Only three
strategies are considered to be low frequency use. They are item 22 <Use semantic
maps> (M=2.03), item 39 <Use physical action when learning a word> (M=2.09), and
item 33 <Underline initial letter of the word> (M=2.26). The finding shows the
high frequently used strategies in memory strategy focus on word’s form, such as
spelling and sound. The medium used strategies focus on the word’s association or
imagination.
Table 8
The Average Frequency of Each Memory Strategy Use
representation of its meaning
18. Image word’s meaning
19. Connect word to a personal
experience
20. Associate the word with its
coordinates
21. Connect the word to its synonyms
and antonyms
22. Use semantic maps
23. Use ”scales” for gradable adjectives
24. Peg Method
34
34
2.91
3.38
1.06
1.18
15
7
34
3.32
1.53
9
34
3.00
1.13
13
34
34
34
2.03
3.56
2.65
1.11
1.33
1.18
23
3
19
25. Loci Method
26. Group words together to study them
27. Use new word in sentences
28. Group words together within a
storyline
29. Study the spelling of a word
30. Study the sound of a word
31. Say new word aloud when studying
32. Image word form
34
34
34
34
3.00
3.21
3.15
2.71
1.15
1.17
1.40
1.24
14
10
11
18
34
34
34
34
4.15
3.76
3.53
2.59
1.10
1.48
1.31
1.16
1
2
5
20
33. Underline initial letter of the word
34. Use Keyword Method
35. Affixes and roots (remembering)
36. Part of speech (remembering)
37. Paraphrase the word’s meaning
38. Learn the words of an idiom together
39. Use physical action when learning a
word
34
34
34
34
34
34
34
2.26
2.74
3.06
3.53
3.38
3.47
2.09
1.16
1.33
1.37
1.05
1.30
1.33
1.14
21
16
12
4
8
6
22
Note: N means the number of the valid responses
The Frequency of Cognitive Strategy Use
There are eight items belong to cognitive strategy shown in table 9. Four
strategies are considered to be high frequency use. They include item 40 <Verbal
repetition> (M=4.06), item 44 <Take notes in class> (M=3.82), item 45 <Use the
vocabulary section in your textbook> (M=3.76), and item 41 <Written repetition>
(M=3.50). Item 47 <Put English labels on physical objects> (M=2.41) is the only one
strategy belongs to low frequency use. The remaining strategies embracing item 48
<Keep a vocabulary notebook> (M=2.47), item 43 <Flash cards> (M=2.50), item 46
<Listen to tape or CD of word lists> (M=2.56), and item 42 <Word lists> (M=2.68)
were medium frequency use. The results mean that the participants emphasize on rote
learning like verbal repetition and written repetition. In addition, they pay attention to
what they learned in school. For instance, they would take notes in class. According
to classroom observation, it was very common that they took notes in class. Even
though some students didn’t do it spontaneously, the teacher would ask them to write
down some important notes. Undoubtedly, it can be the second high frequently used
strategy in cognitive strategy.
Table 9
The Average Frequency of Each Cognitive Strategy Us
Strategy Item
N
Mean
SD
Rank Order
40. Verbal repetition
41. Written repetition
34
34
4.06
3.50
1.15
1.46
1
4
42. Word lists
43. Flash cards
44. Take notes in class
45. Use the vocabulary section in your
textbook
46. Listen to tape or CD of word lists
47. Put English labels on physical objects
48. Keep a vocabulary notebook
34
34
34
34
34
34
34
34
2.68
2.50
3.82
3.76
1.34
1.28
1.17
1.33
5
7
2
3
2.56
2.41
2.47
1.26
1.33
1.48
6
9
8
Note: N means the number of the valid responses
The Frequency of Metacognitive Strategy Use
There are nine items belong to metacognitive strategy shown in table 10. The
only one strategy of high frequency use is item 54 <Testing oneself with word tests>
(M=3.68). However, six strategies are medium frequency use, including item 50
<Read English magazines> (M=2.88), item53 <Listen English songs> (M=3.03), item
51 <Use extracurricular reader> (M=3.09), item 52 <Use English-language media like
movies> (M=3.26), item56 <Use spaced word practice> (M=3.29), item 57 <Continue
to study word over time> (M=3.38). Besides, there are two strategies of low
frequency use. They are item 55 <Skip or pass new word> (M=2.15), and item 49
<Listen to English radio>. The findings indicate that compared to other
English-language media, listening to English radio was less frequently used. That is,
participants were more interested in English songs and English films.
Table 10
The Average Frequency of Each Metacognitive Strategy Use
Strategy Item
N
Mean
SD
Rank Order
49. Listen to English radio
50. Read English magazines
51. Use extracurricular reader
52. Use English-language media like
movies
53. Listen to English songs
54. Testing oneself with word tests
34
34
34
34
2.41
2.88
3.09
3.26
1.21
1.39
1.33
1.31
8
7
5
4
55. Skip or pass new word。
34
34
34
3.03
3.68
2.15
1.42
1.15
1.40
6
1
9
56. Use spaced word practice
57. Continue to study word over time
34
34
3.29
3.38
1.19
1.18
3
2
Note: N means the number of the valid responses