A qualitative study of vocabulary learning strategies applied by Iranian undergraduate EFL learners in real learning setting

Abstract

This study tries to investigate real use of vocabulary learning strategies by Iranian EFL learners. To achieve this goal, the researcher applied a pure qualitative research method in which frequency of all strategies counted and then classified. To select participants for the current study, the researcher used cluster sampling and fish ball approach to select participants. Through this sampling procedure, 238 students were selected as the random samples. They were asked to write journals for six weeks based on what they did daily in vocabulary learning. Transcribing and analyzing the written journals revealed the most frequently used strategies as memory, determination, cognitive, metacognitive and social strategies respectively. Moreover, one cognitive strategy (make list of new words) and one meta cognitive strategies (use English language media) were found as the most frequently used strategies when investigating sub-categories while one of metacognitive strategies (pay attention to English words when somebody is speaking English) and one of social strategies (ask teacher to check my definition) were identified as the least frequently used strategies.