Investigation of Vocabulary Learning Strategies among EFL Iranian Medical Sciences Students

Abstract

Vocabulary learning strategies have dominated the subject of language learning for over two decades. This study aimed to investigate the use and preferences of these Strategies among the students at Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences. One hundred eighty five students with different majors participated in this study. The instrument utilized was a modified version of Gu and Johnson questionnaire which consisted of 45 items related to the students' approach to vocabulary learning. The data were analyzed using SPSS and ANOVA. Results indicated that 57.6% of the students used dictionary to learn vocabulary. Social strategies (2.15±0.66) and guessing (2.14±0.83) had the highest obtained scores while note taking (2.14±0.83) and autonomy (1.49± 0.89) were the least used strategies. Medical and dentistry students used selective attention, and study preference, while nursing and paramedical students used social strategies more. Also, female students used social strategies more, while male students preferred autonomy and note taking strategies. students use different strategies in learning vocabulary items, therefore identifying and teaching these strategies can help teachers and curriculum developers to develop better educational materials which not only teach the importance of VLS but motivate the students to use them more frequently.

The Use and Evaluation of Vocabulary Learning Strategies among Sudanese EFL Learners

“…These are the strategies of (a) using contextual guessing (80.0%), (b) asking classmates about the meaning of new words (85.0%), and (c) using English-Arabic dictionaries (88.3%).This finding is in line with Schmitt's (1997), Al-Fuhaid's (2004) and Rabadi's (2016) studies, which reported that using bilingual dictionary strategy was the most frequently used by respondents. In addition, this finding is consistent with Schmitt's (1997), Fan's (2003), Al-Fuhaid's (2004), Kulikova's (2015) and Hashemi and Hadavi's (2015) studies, in which, guessing strategy was the most frequently used by their respondents. Both strategies of using instant on-screen computer translation programmes and using the Microsoft Word Thesaurus icon registered lower frequency use by respondents.…”

Vocabulary learning strategies used by first year of EFL students

“…However, some students can acquire the language successfully while others fail. Thus, one student with others may have different Vocabulary Learning Strategies Several studies have been done to investigate vocabulary learning strategies used by English as a Foreign Language students, such as Afshar, Moazzam & Arbaby (2014) and Hashemi & Hadavi (2015). Afshar, Moazzam & Arbaby (2014) investigated vocabulary learning strategies used by 173 EFL (undergraduate) students in Iran.…”

“…Further, the result showed the vocabulary strategy used by the learners frequently. Hashemi & Hadavi (2015) conducted an investigation on the use of vocabulary learning strategies among 185 EFL students in Iran. The reseachers adopted Gu and Johnson questionnaire.…”

A Study on Vocabulary Learning Strategies Employed by the Third-Year English Majored Students at Tra Vinh University

“…Le [12] focuses on almost a similar set of strategies with the addition of device-assisted strategies instead of social strategies. Furthermore, Hashemi & Hadavi [13] mention eight vocabulary learning strategies including dictionary, guessing, study preferences, memory, autonomy, note-taking, selective attention, and social strategies. In the same vein, Manuel [14] and Aravind & Rajasekaran [15] investigate the same strategies: determination, memory, cognitive, metacognitive, and social strategies.…”