A Study of Factors Affecting Junior College Students’ Use of
ESL Vocabulary Learning Strategies
影響專科學生使用英文字彙學習策略的因素
吳伶芳
輔英科技大學應用外語科
摘
要
本研究探討(1)影響專科學生使用英文字彙學習策略的因素，包含英文程度、國中與國小階段有無補習
英文、動機、努力等因素。(2)課後英文學習活動是否影響英文字彙學習策略的使用。研究對象為輔英科技
大學專科部 500 位護理科一年級學生。研究工具為多益英語能力測驗與英文字彙學習策略問卷。研究結果
發現，大多數的學生不善於使用英文字彙學習策略，動機是影響學生使用英文字彙學習策略最重要的因素，
學習動機越高，愈善於使用學習策略，也較常參與課外學習活動。查字典是學生最常使用的字彙學習策略，
觀賞英文影片則是最受學生歡迎的課外學習活動，但是很少學生利用網路英文學習活動來增進英文字彙。
本研究建議將英文字彙學習策略融入教學中，指導學生善用網路英文學習活動，以激發學生的學習興趣，
進而提高英文程度｡
關鍵字: 英文字彙、學習策略
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to investigate (1) How do learner variables, including language proficiency,
motivation, effort, years of study, and cram school attendance affect their ESL vocabulary strategy use? (2) Is there
a relationship between extracurricular self-initiated learning activities and vocabulary strategy use? Subjects in this
study were around 500 first grade nursing department students. Results show that the variable that had greatest
effect on learners’ vocabulary strategy use is motivation. Looking up words in a dictionary is the most frequently
used vocabulary learning strategy. The most popular self-initiated learning activities are watching English TV
programs and movies. Nevertheless, respondents in this study rarely participated in Internet vocabulary learning
activities. Results of the study suggest that Internet vocabulary learning activities should be woven into regular
classroom activities. Teachers’ encouragement to the students for adopting the most useful and effective
vocabulary learning approaches will definitely have an positive effect on students’ learning motivation and
language performance.
Keywords: vocabulary learning strategy, lexical competence
541
I: Introduction
Junior College Division of Fooyin University
With dawning of the electronic age, the
participated in this study. After a placement test,
importance of English proficiency has gained
they were grouped into different levels classes for
much more attention in recent years. Effective
teaching purposes and answered a vocabulary
second
learning
learning
strategies have been a major focus of researchers,
English
while little emphasis has been given to the
questionnaire, data collection was conducted by
vocabulary
Researchers
the author with the assistance of several English
indicated that the greatest obstacle for acquiring
teachers and then underwent a series of statistical
a second language is limited vocabulary size. In
analysis by using the Statistical Packages for the
Meara’s (1984) study of L2 university students,
Social Science. The results of this study will be
lexical errors outnumbered grammatical errors
beneficial for both participating teachers and
by 3:1 or 4:1. A similar survey of L2 students
students.
taking university courses found that they
teachers will learn more about their students,
identified vocabulary as a major factor that held
encourage their use of vocabulary learning
them back in academic writing tasks (Leki &
strategies, and then adapt vocabulary teaching to
Carson.1994). Although vocabulary has recently
students’ need more effectively.
language
acquisition
learning
and
strategies.
questionnaire
classes.
The
during
After
their
regular
answering
participating
Fooyin
the
English
attracted increased interest since the 1980s,
language researchers and teachers continue to
II: Review of Literature
give less attention to it than syntax and
Word Morphology
phonology (Clece-Murica, 1997). However,
We usually try to remember a word by the
factors affecting vocabulary learning is very
form of vocabulary items, and exercises to
complicated, including individual and contextual
enhance storage and recall should most often be
factors. Oxford (1990) proposed that many
focused on these forms. Since associations of
factors affect choice of learning strategies:
forms help us remember the forms themselves,
degree of awareness, stage of learning, task
we should gather words together so these
requirements, teacher expectations, age, sex,
associations can be seen and give each other
nationality, ethnicity, general learning style,
mutual help. The knowledge of basic affixes,
personality traits, motivation level, and purpose
roots, suffixes, and word formation help learners
for learning the language.
decode words.
In light of the need for information about the
word-learning
process,
research
Decomposing an unknown word into its
question explored in this study is: how do learner
structural components and inferring its meaning
variables,
from
including
the
major
Affixes, roots, suffixes, and word formation
motivation,
language
them
is
called
structural
analysis.
proficiency, years of study, effort, cram school
Researchers should be taught the general
attendance,
strategies of decomposing a word into parts to
learning
and
extracurricular
activities
affect
self-initiated
students’
ESL
guess its meaning. Teaching students structural
vocabulary strategies use? A total of 500
analysis by using a variety affixes can help them
first-year nursing department students in the
increase their ability to infer word meaning. By
542
Language Learning strategies
becoming familiar with only a few roots, affixes,
and suffixes, students will recognize the
Learning strategies are the basic tools for
meaning of many words. In addition, teaching
active, self-directed involvement needed for
the word formation of individual word, such as
developing L2 communicative ability ( O ’
“ industrial”, “industrialist”, industrialize , is a
Malley & Chamot,1990). Research has shown
useful skill in vocabulary learning (Nation, 1990;
that more effective language learners use more
Hsueh , 1997 ).
and better learning strategies than do poorer
Enhance storage in memory
language learners (Rubin, 1975; Stern 1983). In
One of the most important thing in learning
addition, research also showed that more
vocabulary is to remember words, or more
effective language learners perform well in each
precisely to store words in memory. Memorizing
of
vocabulary plays an important role in language
Mendelsohn, 1986). Rubin suggested that the
learning. In this paragraph, some characteristics
good language learner is a willing and accurate
of the relationship between vocabulary and
guesser; has a strong persevering drive to
memory will be introduced.
communicate and willing to make mistakes in
the
four
language
skills
(Tyacke
&
Association-synonym, antonym, word family, and
order to learn or communicate; focuses on form
key words
by looking for patterns; takes advantages of all
The discussed various strategies will aid
practice opportunities; monitors his or her own
learners to storage vocabulary. It includes pair
speech and that of others; and pay attention to
association and mnemonic devices. Research
meaning.
suggests that words are stored and remembered
Oxford (1990) indicated that language
in a network association. These associations can
learning strategies can be classified, explained,
be of many types and be linked in a network
and exemplified in six coherent groups. The six
association. This memory device called paired
strategy groups are labeled memory, cognitive,
associate which links two words of similar
comprehension, metacognitive, affective, and
sounds and meanings has proved effective
social. The first three groups are known as
(Stevick, 1976). Word family means many
“ direct ” strategies, because they directly
words built about a particular root are gathered
involve the subject matter, in this case,
so that the associations among them can be seen.
target language to be learned; the last three
Word family is similar to word formation, such
groups are called “ indirect ”
as
“partner”,
because they don’t directly involve the subject
“participant”, etc. The key word method is that a
matter itself, but are essential to language
reader learns a word in the target language by
learning nonetheless. Chamot and Kupper (1989)
associating it with similar sound or meaning in
mentioned that successful learners tend to select
the native language. Pair association will be a
strategies that work together well in a highly
good way to memorize vocabulary effectively,
orchestrated way, tailored to the requirement of
for example the paired words of “fridge” and
the language task. These learners can easily
“bridge”, “eight” and “night”(Hsueh, 1997).
explain the strategies they use and why they
“part”,
“partition”,
“partly”,
strategies,
employ them (O’Malley & Chamot, 1990).
543
the
Characteristics
of
a
good
language
III: Methodology
learner
Participants & Context
Rubin (1975) mentioned that good language
learning is said to depend on at least three
The subjects involved in this study compromised 500
variables: aptitude, motivation, and opportunity,
students majoring in nursing in the Junior College
and strategies. Carroll(1990) proposed that the
Division at Fooyin University in Southern Taiwan.
components of foreign language aptitude can be
The respondents consisted largely of females with an
defined as the following: phonetic coding ability,
average age of 16-17 and their first language is
grammatically sensitivity, memory ability, and
Mandarin Chinese. They place at a low-medium level
inductive language learning ability. However,
in language ability and have received at least three
some authors feel that language aptitude is a
years of formal instruction in the English language.
relatively invariant characteristic of the individual,
At the time of this research project, they were taking
not subject to easy modification by learning
one required English course- four hours per week.
(Carroll, 1960). Others have demonstrated that
This project was implemented in the general required
language can be improved somewhat through
English course which aims to enable students and
training, still others have pointed to the intricate
teachers to teach and learn vocabulary more
interrelationship between aptitude and motivation.
effectively. It was stressed that the results would not
Motivation is the second variable mentioned
affect their English course grades.
frequently in regard to second language learning.
Research Questions
Gardner and Lamber (1959) have isolated two
1. How do learner variables, including language
kinds of motivation: instrumental and integrative.
proficiency, motivation, effort, years of study, and
Macnamara (1971) mentioned that the
cram
essential difference between a classroom and the
school
attendance
affect
their
ESL
vocabulary strategy use?
street as a place to learn a language is motivation.
2. Is there a relationship between extracurricular
He also indicated that students will learn to do
self-initiated learning activities and vocabulary
what they themselves exert themselves to do.
strategy use?
Cooper (1973) also emphasizes with proper
Instruments
motivation, the learner may become an active
1. The placement test
investigator of the nature of the language to be
TOEIC BRIDGE (The Test of English for
learned. Opportunity is the third variable
International Communication) was used as an
mentioned above. The good language learner
English language proficiency test. Placement of
takes and creates opportunities to practice what
students into levels was based on the test scores.
he has learned while the poorer learner passively
The test is composed of 100 multiple-choice
does what is assigned him. The good language
questions divided into two sections. The first
learner gets involved with foreign language
section of the test is listening comprehension,
movies, joins foreign language clubs, listens to
including fifty questions. The second section covers
T.V. or the radio outside class. It is clearly
reading and grammar and makes up the other fifty
difficult to separate these three variables since
questions.
they do impinge together.
2. The questionnaire
544
A questionnaire that was designed by the researcher
at .05 level.
was used to discover the students’ vocabulary
learning strategies among the three ability groups.
IV: Results and Discussion
The questionnaire was divided into three parts (1)
Students’ Vocabulary Strategy Use
students’ background information, (2) students’
vocabulary
learning
strategies
(3)
One of the purposes of this study is to investigate
student’s
how the students learn and memorizes vocabulary.
self-initiated outside classroom vocabulary learning
Table 1 reveals that the most popular vocabulary
activities.
learning strategy is looking up words in a dictionary,
Procedures
followed by are mental lexicon, key words methods,
At the end of July of 2002, the placement test
vocabulary application in daily life, contextual
was administered to all of the Fooyin freshmen who
clues, and associations.
were taking the general English courses as a
Table 1 Vocabulary Strategy Use and Frequency
requirement. Then the students were assigned to
Rank of Vocabulary
different ability groups based on the scores of the
order
learning Frequency
strategies
(%)
English Ability Test, and then received different
Look
1
up words in a 87
instructions in the new coming semester.
dictionary
The survey of students’ vocabulary learning
2 Mental lexicon
69
strategies was conducted at the end of the fall
3 Key words methods
35
semester. Six middle-level classes, two lower-level
4 Application
31
classes and two high-level classes were randomly
5 Contextual clues
21
selected to serve as the subjects.
6 Associations
16
Data Analysis
Factors Affecting Vocabulary Strategy Use
Data collection was conducted by the author, with
Motivation
the assistance of several English teachers in the
Nearly ninety percent of the respondents express
Junior College Division of Fooyin University. A
that the most important reason for leaning English is
vocabulary learning strategy questionnaire was
to pass the examination during the classes.
distributed to the participating students during their
Generally speaking, these subjects participating in
regular English classes at the beginning of the fall
this study didn’t have stronger motivation for
semester. The researcher then conducted a series of
learning English. Results show that students with
statistical analyses on the collected data by using
stronger motivation were much more devoted to
the Statistical Packages for the Social Science,
self-initiated learning activities than did the less
including
frequencies,
standard
motivated. Table 2 presents the information that
deviation.
Chi-square
was used to test the
students’ learning motivation was found to have
relationship among motivation, effort, years of study,
significant influence on the use of all vocabulary
cram school attending, language proficiency, and
learning strategies. The results also revealed that
vocabulary strategy use. One way ANOVA was
students
performed
vocabulary learning strategies more often than did
to
means,
examine
the
and
significance
of
differences among the three levels students.
with
stronger
less motivated students.
Results were considered statistically significant
545
motivation
use
these
Effort
Strategy 4
F=15.36
-----
------
-----
----
Table 2 indicates that the degree to which students
Strategy 5
F=12.57
-----
------
-----
----
spent their time and effort in learning English just
Strategy 6
F=14.40
-----
------
-----
----
didn’t make a significant effect on the vocabulary
strategy use, except for strategy 1. The results also
a. Strategy 1 represents instantly; strategy 2 represents mental lexicon;
revealed that the students who reported spending
strategy 3 represents daily Application; strategy 4 represents
much time in learning English didn’t use vocabulary
contextual clues; strategy 5 represents key words method; strategy 6
learning strategy more frequently than those
represents association.
spending less effort.
b. When F-value larger than 3, then it will be at rejection region. Only
Years of Study & Language Proficiency
significant values are shown in this table.
According to the results of the F-tests, language
C. Effort =Efforts spent in learning English, Year =years of English study,
proficiency and years of study didn’t have a
LP=Language proficiency, CSA= Cram school attendance
significant effect on vocabulary strategy use, except
Self-initiated vocabulary learning activities &
for strategy 3 shown in Table 2. It is surprising to
Vocabulary strategies use
find that those who have early started learning
Table 3 indicates that proficient learners were
English can’t make best use of the vocabulary
much more devoted to extracurricular self-initiated
strategy than the others. Another finding is that
vocabulary learning activities than less proficient
the relationship between language proficiency and
learners. The most popular self-initiated vocabulary
vocabulary strategy use for Fooyin students was
learning activities were
doubtful. Few students, even among proficient
English,
learners, can employ the vocabulary learning
programs, reading a newspaper or books regularly
strategy.
learners
in English and playing computer games in English
participated a wider range of self-initiated learning
were also popular activities. Nevertheless, it is
activities than did the less proficient.
surprising
Cram-School attendance
participated
Nevertheless,
proficient
Though many people think that cram school
activities.
attending should be a good reason affecting
vocabulary strategies use, the results of the study
shows that there is no significant difference between
cram school attendants and non-cram school
attendants, except for the strategy -daily application.
Table 2 Factors affecting learning strategies
Dependent
Independent Variables
variables
Motivation
Effort
Year
LP
CSA
Strategy 1
F=6.40b
F=3.85
-----
-----
-----
Strategy 2
------
----
------
-----
----
Strategy 3
F=22.8
-----
F=5.747
F=4.927
F=13.24
546
watching TV programs in
whereas listening to English radio
to
in
find
that
Internet
respondents
vocabulary
rarely
learning
differences among these three levels students for using
Table 3 Self-initiate learning activities
a: There is a significant difference among these three levels students, when
Rank
Self-initiated vocabulary learning Average
of
activities
Frequency
of
Pa
p-value< 0.005.
participation
order
V: CONCLUSION
1
To conclude the discussion of the findings, some
2
outlined. The analyses of the data show that
self-initiated
learning
activities
.009*
English
implications that follow from this study will be
motivation,
Watch TV programs, movies in Medium to High (M=3.95)
Listen to English programs on the Low to Medium (M=2.94)
.001*
radio
and
3
several other factors definitely have an important
Read English newspaper and Low to Medium (M=2.96)
.009*
magazines regularly
impact on vocabulary learning strategies. It will be
discussed in the followings:
4
Play computer games in English
5
Internet
Low to Medium (M=2.83)
----
As suggested in literature, motivation plays an
vocabulary
learning Low (M=2.37)
important role while learning a second language.
activities
Motivation is the most significant factor for learning
vocabulary learning strategy. The respondents didn’t
the second language because it determines the extent
receive enough training about using vocabulary
of the learners’ active involvement and attitude toward
learning strategies will account for this finding.
leaning. The respondents with high motivation used
Results indicated that less than fifty percent of the
vocabulary learning strategies more often than did the
above listed vocabulary learning strategies used by the
less motivated. Nevertheless, more than half of the
participating respondents. Only a little amount of the
students reported spending less than one hour per
proficient respondents listened to the radio teaching
week studying English. The main purpose for them to
programs or Internet English teaching programs to
learn English is to pass the examination in the class,
acquire their vocabulary. Most of them didn’t know
especially for lower level students. Nearly Ninety
how to employ the most beneficial vocabulary
percent of the subjects whose vocabulary acquisition
learning strategy. Oxford (1989) mentioned it is clear
are mainly from the English classes, followed by
that students can be taught to use better strategies, and
English cram schools. The data from this case study
research suggests that better strategies improve
showed that most of the subjects participating in this
language performance. Important effects of training in
study had low leaning motivation. The low learning
the use of language learning strategies have been
motivation definitely has a negative effect on Fooyin
discovered by a number of researchers (Atkinson,
students’ language proficiency. Instructional strategies
1985). Therefore, the training about vocabulary
to enhance students’ learning motivation will be an
learning strategies to the students will be the main task
important task for Fooyin English teachers. They
for Fooyin teachers. Oxford and Crook (1990)
should design learning activities focusing on the
suggested, teachers should present students with many
accuracy and appropriateness of application in various
different vocabulary learning strategies and encourage
contexts of use, and learners must be given
them to adopt and practice those that are most
opportunities to participate as languages users. Then,
successful for them as individuals. It has been
motivation for learning vocabulary will be enhanced.
confirmed that vocabulary learning strategy is
In addition, the results didn’t show significant
547
----
generally more effective when woven into regular
beyond any limitation of time and space. With the
classroom activities than when presented as a separate
dawning of electronic age, students and teachers are
strategy course. The training key points should include
highly motivated by being involved in such learning
Oxford (1990) vocabulary acquisition approach, such
activities.
as careful analysis of students’ needs, personalized
Closing Remarks
instruction, providing practice in using vocabulary
strategies, and a variety of vocabulary activities.
This study examined the effects of variables on
As found in this study, watching TV programs and
movies
in
English
were
the
most
vocabulary learning strategies, including motivation,
frequently
effort,
years
of
study,
language
proficiency,
self-initiated learning activities for Fooyin junior
self-initiated learning activities, and also cram school
college students. Results showed that few respondents
attendance. Results indicated that subjects with
participated in Internet vocabulary learning activities
stronger motivation used vocabulary approaches more
among these three level students, even for proficient
often than do the less motivated. They were usually
learners. Respondents in this research rarely acquired
better language proficiency and also much more
vocabulary through Internet. It is a pity that few
devoted to self-initiated vocabulary learning activities.
students had interests about on-line learning activities,
Another important finding was that vocabulary
they spent a lot of time getting on line regularly just to
strategy use couldn’t predict language proficiency of
chat for fun. As the Internet has transformed
Fooyin students. Lacking of training, unawareness of
communication around the world, it is natural that it
using vocabulary strategy they use may be the main
should play a major role not only in the second
reasons.
language classroom, but also self-initiated outside
vocabulary strategies use and the integration of
classroom
computer-assisted language learning with Internet will
language
learning
activities.
The
multimedia nature of the Web and the use of the Web
Enhancing
motivation,
training
for
be the topics for further research.
pages have greatly expanded the power of Internet for
VI: References
delivery authentic teaching materials, including texts;
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images; sound recordings; videos clips; virtual reality
worlds;
and
dynamic,
interactive
EFL
presentations
Learners’
Difficulties
in
Vocabulary
(LeLoup, 2000). Fooyin teachers should make the best
Learning and Remedial Learning Strategies,第十
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