A Study of Vocabulary Learning Strategies and their Effect on Vocabulary Development

Abstract

Language learners use Vocabulary Learning Strategies to learn new words or to consolidate the meaning of words they have already learnt. This paper presents findings of a study conducted to examine the vocabulary learning strategies (VLS) used by English as a second language (ESL) learners when learning English at tertiary level, in Sri Lanka.   The aim of the study was to gain a better understanding of VLS used by ESL learners with the view of adopting better vocabulary teaching methods in the classroom. The study made use of a questionnaire, a vocabulary learning activity and a delayed post-test to obtain data.  Schmitt’s (1997) taxonomy of vocabulary learning strategies was utilized in categorizing the data collected. The research brought to light the common strategies used by learners when learning the meaning of unfamiliar words in the target language and the strategies used by them when recalling the meaning of already learnt words.  The results show that when students fall back on their mother tongue to learn and retain the meaning of target language vocabulary it impedes the vocabulary learning process, the development of reading skills and target language proficiency.