Philippine E-Journals

Effects of EFL Students’ Vocabulary Learning Strategies on their Depth of Vocabulary Knowledge

Eric AG Bangngu

 

Abstract:

This article reports on the English study program of Nusa Cendana University, Indonesia to estimate the effect of vocabulary learning strategies on students’ depth of vocabulary knowledge. The topic is significant because students are expected to master English vocabularies for they will become English teachers. Unfortunately, their depth of vocabulary knowledge does not develop as well as their vocabulary size. The data gathered using a questionnaire which is based on Schmitt’s taxonomy (1997) and word associate test offered by Read (1998). The data were analyzed using multiple linear regression analyses through the use of SPSS. The result of the research shows that in the linear combination, there was a significant effect of all vocabulary learning strategies on students’ depth of vocabulary knowledge (p<0.05) with contribution effect about 81% (R2=0.81). It was also found statistically that, determination, social and metacognitive strategy had significant effects on students’ depth of vocabulary knowledge (p<0.05) while both cognitive strategy and memory strategy did not significantly affect students’ depth of vocabulary knowledge (p>0.05). Also, the result shows that determination was the most frequently used strategy while the memory was the least frequently used strategy. Regarding individual items of vocabulary strategies, use the bilingual dictionary to discover the meaning of new English word was the most frequently used strategy while the use of scale for the gradable adjective to consolidate words has been learned was the least frequently used strategy. Taking into account factors affecting vocabulary learning strategies, the result shows that students’ proficiency, motivation, belief, and strategy training played a role in students’ preference of using certain strategies. At last, the higher the frequency of time in using vocabulary learning strategies, the higher students’ depth of vocabulary knowledge.