A study on vocabulary learning strategies used by the secondyear English major students at Thuongmai University

A study on vocabulary learning strategies used by the secondyear English major students at Thuongmai University A study on vocabulary learning strategies used by the secondyear English major students at Thuongmai University A study on vocabulary learning strategies used by the secondyear English major students at Thuongmai University A study on vocabulary learning strategies used by the secondyear English major students at Thuongmai University A study on vocabulary learning strategies used by the secondyear English major students at Thuongmai University A study on vocabulary learning strategies used by the secondyear English major students at Thuongmai University A study on vocabulary learning strategies used by the secondyear English major students at Thuongmai University A study on vocabulary learning strategies used by the secondyear English major students at Thuongmai University A study on vocabulary learning strategies used by the secondyear English major students at Thuongmai University A study on vocabulary learning strategies used by the secondyear English major students at Thuongmai University A study on vocabulary learning strategies used by the secondyear English major students at Thuongmai University A study on vocabulary learning strategies used by the secondyear English major students at Thuongmai University A study on vocabulary learning strategies used by the secondyear English major students at Thuongmai University A study on vocabulary learning strategies used by the secondyear English major students at Thuongmai University A study on vocabulary learning strategies used by the secondyear English major students at Thuongmai University A study on vocabulary learning strategies used by the secondyear English major students at Thuongmai University A study on vocabulary learning strategies used by the secondyear English major students at Thuongmai University A study on vocabulary learning strategies used by the secondyear English major students at Thuongmai University

ABSTRACT One of the biggest challenges that students will encounter during the process of foreign language learning is learning vocabulary Vocabulary knowledge is viewed as a critical tool for second language learners because limited vocabulary in a second language impedes successful communication Hence, in the case of learning vocabulary in a second language, students need to be aware of vocabulary learning strategies This study aims at investigating vocabulary learning strategies used by the second-year English major students at Thuongmai University Besides, the research paper suggested some possible solutions to help students better their vocabulary learning There are five categories of vocabulary learning strategies as determination, memory, social, cognitive, and metacognitive mentioned in the study These categories cover 28 strategies that were included in the research questionnaire A total of 120 second-year students from the English participated in the study Because the data collection tools used in this research project were survey questionnaires, the findings were coded and analyzed by quantitative methods From the results obtained, the student’s awareness of the importance of vocabulary learning strategies in their English learning process was realized Most students highly evaluated the role of vocabulary learning strategies in learning English Among all strategies which were included in the survey questionnaire, the most commonly used strategy was using English-Vietnamese dictionary, and the least used was asking the teacher to check flashcards or word list for accuracy Based on the research findings of the study, some suggestions on students’ vocabulary learning strategies were withdrawn, along with some recommended suggestions for further research ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In order to complete this graduation paper, I have received many invaluable bits of help and encouragement from my teachers, family, and friends during the procession of the research First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest respect and profound gratitude to my supervisor, Mrs Hoang Thu Ba, for her wholehearted support and helpful guidance I am lucky enough to have her consideration encouragement, comments, and instructions, which are decisive factors leading to the completion of this study Besides, I would like to send my sincere thanks to all the teachers in the English Faculty of Thuongmai University for giving me professional knowledge through each lecture, which helped me a lot in fulfilling this research I also owe a great debt of gratitude to the second-year English major students at Thuongmai University, who spent their valuable time participating in the conduct of my survey questionnaire Without their help and assistance, this research would not have been completed Last but not least, never enough thanks are sent to my precious family and friends, who lent me more strength and motivation during the procession of the study I’m looking forward to receiving comments and suggestions from teachers and readers to complete the thesis successfully Thank you so much! Sincerely, Ly Ngo Van Ly TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii TABLE OF CONTENTS .iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS v LIST OF TABLES AND CHARTS vi 1.1 Rational 1.2 Previous studies .2 1.3 Aims of the study .4 1.4 Research subjects 1.5 Scope of the study 1.6 Research methodology 1.6.1 Research design 1.6.2 Population and sample 1.6.3 Research instruments 1.6.4 Data collection .6 1.6.5 Data analysis 1.7 Organization of the study .7 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW .8 2.1 Definition of vocabulary 2.2 Vocabulary learning strategies .8 2.2.1 Definition of vocabulary learning strategies .8 2.2.2 The importance of vocabulary learning strategies in language learning and teaching 2.2.3 Classification of vocabulary learning strategies .10 CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 16 3.1 Student’s awareness of vocabulary learning strategies 16 3.2 Vocabulary learning strategies used for discovering a new word’s meaning 19 3.2.1 Determination strategies 19 3.2.2 Social strategies 22 3.3 Vocabulary learning strategies used for consolidating a word in memory.24 3.3.1 Social strategies 24 3.3.2 Memory strategies .25 3.3.3 Cognitive strategies .26 3.3.4 Metacognitive strategies .28 3.4 Students’ use of all strategies in six categories 29 CHAPTER 4: RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS 32 4.1 Suggestions on students’ vocabulary learning 32 4.1.1 The need for vocabulary learning strategy training 32 4.1.2 Learner responsibility 32 4.1.3 Dictionary strategies 33 4.1.4 Memory strategies .33 4.1.5 Use of vocabulary .34 4.2 Limitations of the study and suggestions for further research 34 CONCLUSION 35 REFERENCES 37 APPENDIX I LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS No 10 Abbreviations VLS LLS DET SOC MEM COG MET L1 L2 TMU Meaning Vocabulary Learning Strategies Language Learning Strategies Determination strategy Social strategy Memory strategy Cognitive strategy Metacognitive strategy First Language Second Language Thuongmai University LIST OF TABLES AND CHARTS Table 1: Gu and Johnson’s (1996) classification of vocabulary learning strategies 11 Table 2: Schmitt’s (1997) classification of vocabulary learning strategies 14 Table 3: Nation’s (2001) classification of vocabulary learning strategies 15 Table 4: Student’s use of all strategies in six categories 30 Chart 1: Years of learning English 16 Chart 2: Student’s awareness of vocabulary learning strategies 17 Chart 3: Time students spend practicing VLS each day 18 Chart 4: Students’ opinion about VLS being taught in class 19 Chart 5: Students’ use of Determination strategies 20 Chart 6: Students’ use of Social strategies .22 Chart 7: Students’ use of Social strategies .24 Chart 8: Students’ use of Memory strategies 25 Chart 9: Students’ use of Cognitive strategies .27 Chart 10: Students’ use of Metacognitive strategies 28 CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY 1.1 Rational In the past decades, economic and cultural communication with foreign countries has become active in Vietnam Hence, one of the most significant needs that has been generated is language learning and teaching There is no doubt that a second or foreign language plays an essential role in today’s world since it gives people an open door to the world Among approximately 6500 languages that originated in numerous communities, and English is considered one of the most popular languages globally English is the official language in 53 nations nowadays It is also spoken as the first language by around 400 million people worldwide Since English is the most common language, many people try to learn English as a second language or third language In this respect, vocabulary knowledge plays a pivotal role in language learning and production since “without grammar little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed” (Wilkins, 1972: 111) The lack of vocabulary knowledge influences the other five language skills, such as speaking, reading, writing, listening and translating Unfortunately, a lot of students find it hard to acquire vocabulary Gu and Johnson cite Meara (1996:655), who claimed that “learners themselves readily admit that they experience considerable difficulty with vocabulary, and most learners identify the acquisition of vocabulary as their greatest single source of problems.” Concerning the complexity of this issue, it is safe to say that vocabulary learning strategies play a crucial role in language learning as a part of language learning strategies Thus, being aware of these strategies is suitable for both teachers and students Though many efforts have been made to develop vocabulary language learning, the real achievement has not been very satisfactory This may be caused by different reasons One of the reasons may be this point that differences among individuals such as differences in social class, attitude, gender, aptitude, culture, and motivation (Oxford, 2001) Another reason may be that there is no universal method or techniques that can be created for language learning and teaching Consequently, the methods or strategies which work for one learner may not work for another one since the methods or strategies which work for one learner in a specific condition may not work for the same one in a different setting In the process of integrating into the world, Vietnam also pinpoints the importance of learning and teaching English to educate an adequate number of English users to adapt to new conditions However, in Vietnamese Universities in general and Thuongmai University in particular, vocabulary is partly ignored Although vocabulary is the biggest problem for most students, it does not receive appropriate attention and is left to students to achieve vocabulary themselves Students are usually instructed to look up a dictionary to find the meaning of the words that they first encounter Subsequently, most students are unaware of their own learning styles and tend to exploit vocabulary learning strategies ineffectively For the above-mentioned reasons, the researcher investigated commonly used vocabulary learning strategies of students at Thuongmai University as well as give out valuable solutions to improve their vocabulary learning The researcher decided to conduct a study on the topic: “A study on vocabulary learning strategies used by the second-year English major students at Thuongmai University.” The researcher hoped that each student could find out their method to learn vocabulary in an easier, faster, more enjoyable, more self-directed, more effective way 1.2 Previous studies Vocabulary learning strategies play an important role in the process of language learning of every learner Therefore, many studies have been conducted to investigate on vocabulary learning strategies (VLS) for the past third-ty years Related to language matter in vocabulary learning strategies used by students, Katarzyna Maria Nosidlak (2013) conducted a study on vocabulary learning strategies of the advanced students The purpose is to present the research results on 102 English philology students at the Pedagogical University of Cracow, Poland The study focuses on the vocabulary learning strategies used by the advanced English students who are considered successful language learners The author tries to discover and systematize the strategies used, especially by this group, which successfully deals with countless new vocabulary items daily After a thorough analysis, the study showed that the advanced students use diverse and multiple sources of new words; the Internet is the most popular source of new vocabulary; traditional sources of vocabulary are still popular among advanced students of English The research also revealed that students on the higher proficiency levels use fewer and fewer kinds of different strategies, but they use similar strategies Also, Gu and Johnson (1996) proposed two main dimensions of vocabulary learning strategies for their research The study focused on the relationship between vocabulary learning strategies Gu and Johnson investigated the vocabulary strategies used by 850 non-English major students at a China university by using a questionnaire with those of a vocabulary test and a language proficiency test It was found that two main dimensions of vocabulary learning strategies are metacognitive regulation and cognitive strategies, which cover six subcategories: guessing, using a dictionary, note-taking, rehearsal, encoding, and activating While contextual guessing, the skill of using a dictionary, note-taking, encoding, and activating correlated positively with both vocabulary size and general proficiency test; rehearsal was found to be the strongest negative predictor of both two tests In Schmitt’s study (1997) conducted among 600 Japanese students in order to assess which vocabulary learning strategies the learners actually used and how helpful they believe those strategies to be, the result showed that the learners used dictionary, repetition, word spelling, and contextual guessing most frequently On the other hand, they used few semantic maps and imagery strategies and considered them the least useful Besides, Zou Nigjue (2011) reported on the study of the strategies use of Chinese English majors in vocabulary learning, the individual differences between effective and less effective learners in applying vocabulary learning strategies, and the relationship between their strategies and their outcome in English learning In this research, 118 junior English major students in Chinese University participated Students were asked to take a vocabulary test and answer a vocabulary-learning questionnaire The research findings were coded and analyzed by quantitative methods The result also showed that seven vocabulary learning strategies, namely applied, categorization, dictionary strategy, cooperation, elaboration, media, and self-monitoring, are positively correlated with the vocabulary test scores In Vietnam, Do Thi Kim Oanh (2012) carried out a research project on English vocabulary learning strategies used by students The study’s purpose is to explore the vocabulary learning strategies that the first-year students at Hai Phong Community College commonly use Two hundred seventy-six participants were chosen randomly from the first-year students enrolled in the college in the academic year 2011-2012 The results showed that most students used a bilingual dictionary to learn vocabulary They also asked the teachers for the meaning of new words Although many studies have been conducted to explore vocabulary learning strategies adopted by language learners and the relationship between vocabulary learning strategies and vocabulary size, little attention has been paid to the language learners’ awareness of the importance of vocabulary learning strategies Hence, the researcher attempted to carry out this study to not only figure out vocabulary learning strategies used by the second-year English major students but also the students’ awareness of the importance of vocabulary learning strategies 1.3 Aims of the study The study aims at investigating the strategies used by the second-year English majors in vocabulary learning at Thuongmai University To be specific, the first step is to find out the students’ awareness of the importance of vocabulary learning strategies; second, to explore vocabulary learning strategies that the second-year English major students commonly used during the vocabulary learning process In order to accomplish the aims mentioned above, the study targets at finding the answer to the following questions: 1) What is the students’ awareness of the importance of vocabulary learning strategies? 2) What vocabulary learning strategies the second-year English majors commonly use at Thuongmai University? 1.4 Research subjects The research subject of this graduation paper is the second-year students majoring in English at Thuongmai university There was a total of 120 students 3.3.3 Cognitive strategies Students' use of Cognitive strategies 14 Take notes in class 88% 13 Use the vocabulary section in the textbook 51% 12 Keep a vocabulary notebook 11 Write new words on a flash card to remember 82% 15% 10 Written repetition Verbal repetition 84% 71% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Chart 9: Students’ use of Cognitive strategies According to chart 9, strategy (Verbal repetition) and strategy 10 (Written repetition) are very popular with most language learners Usually, students have been taught to pronounce and write new words repetitively to remember them since they started learning English Hence, this habit had a significant influence on the way they learn vocabulary In this survey, a high percentage of students often applied those strategies in learning English vocabulary In particular, 70.8% of respondents often used verbal repetition strategy, and 84.2% often used written strategy Those two strategies are the ultimate classic The physical motion of speaking out and writing something down is beneficial as it satisfies the needs of haptic learners Another helpful way to consolidate vocabulary is writing new words on a flashcard to remember (strategy 11) It is not only a relaxing but also funny activity to learn new words Learners can use the card with an image of a word as well as its meaning, example sentences, and learn new words in their free time This strategy is very attractive to learners who work well with visual clues However, only 18 students (15%) reported that they often use this strategy during their language process Strategy 11 seemed to be infrequent to the students Keeping a vocabulary notebook (strategy 12) and using the vocabulary section in the textbook (strategy 13) were also employed by many students In general, 27 those strategies are a traditional habit of almost all Vietnamese students 82.5% of the participants often kept a vocabulary notebook, while 50.8% often used the vocabulary section in the textbook It might be assumed that traditional strategies are still very popular among students Another important finding of this investigation showed that taking notes in class (strategy 14), as one of the most preferred ones, was applied by 105 students (account for 87.5%) The students often write down the useful expression and phrases related that their teachers notice From the result, taking note in class seem to be favored by most of the students The Vietnamese educational style may also influence this In secondary and high school, teachers would like to encourage the students to take notes during the lesson The habit of taking note of what teachers say was trained for a long time Therefore, the students still have this habit after entering college Other than that, note-taking could help learners have a profound impression of new words and consolidate them in memory The researcher believes that this strategy is worthy of use In summary, chart showed that the Cognitive strategy that students often used most was strategy 14 (Take notes in the class), while strategy 11 (Write new words on a flashcard to remember) was the least used 3.3.4 Metacognitive strategies Students' use of Metacognitive strategies 17 Continue to study the word over time 16 Test oneself with word test 18% 10% 15 Use English-language media 0% 88% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Chart 10: Students’ use of Metacognitive strategies Using English-language media such as magazines, newspapers, TV programs, the Internet, etc., is an effective way to enrich learners’ vocabulary Thus, the 28 students are usually encouraged to make use of this resource In the World Wide Web area, it is not surprising that almost all of the participants preferred to use this strategy As shown in chart 3.9, 106 students (88.3%) claimed that they often used English-language media during their vocabulary learning process Since using English-language media to learn vocabulary is not only informative but also pleasant, most of the students in general and TMU’s students, in particular, liked to employ it in their learning process Strategy 16 focuses on whether the participants test themselves with a word test It is an effective way for learners to evaluate their vocabulary knowledge However, it seemed not to be preferred by most of the students when only 10% of them often used this strategy Since the students have to face many examinations at school, they would not like to take vocabulary tests themselves As shown in chart 10, only 21 students (17.5%) answered that they often use strategy 17 to consolidate vocabulary in memory In fact, continuing to study the word over time is essential for all ELF learners The human mind tends to forget what we learned after a short time if we not review it continuously The human brain can only remember 33% of the amount of information after one day of learning and only about 20% after one month Therefore, reviewing and studying the words every day is very necessary for all students to memorize English vocabulary In short, the strategy the students often used most in Metacognitive was strategy 15 (Using English-language media) Meanwhile, strategy 16 (Test oneself with word test) was the least applied 3.4 Students’ use of all strategies in six categories Among all included strategies in the survey questionnaire, some strategies are preferable to others to students The following table presents strategies use according to descending order of the students’ percentage used 29 Category Strategies Strategies used for discovering a new word’s meaning DET Use an English-Vietnamese dictionary DET Analyze the part of speech DET Guess meaning of words from textual context DET Use an English-English dictionary DET Ask classmates for the meaning DET Analyze prefixes, suffixed and roots DET Analyze any available pictures or gestures SOC Ask teacher for paraphrase or synonym of new word SOC Discover new meaning through group activities SOC Ask the teacher for the meaning SOC Ask teacher for a sentence including the new word Strategies used for consolidating a word in memory MET Use English-language media COG Take notes in class COG Written repetition COG Keep a vocabulary notebook COG Verbal repetition MEM Group words together to study them SOC Interact with native speaker MEM Connect word to its synonyms and antonyms COG Use the vocabulary section in the textbook MEM Use new word in sentences MEM Connect word to a personal experience MEM Learn the words of idiom together MEM Memorize the prefix, suffix, and root of the word MET Continue to study the word over time COG Write new words on a flash card to remember MET Test oneself with word test SOC Teacher checks students' flashcards or word lists for accuracy Percentage of students’ use 100% 95.8% 89.2% 85.0% 81.7% 43.3% 26.7% 20.0% 16.7% 15% 6.7% 88.3% 87.5% 84.2% 82.2% 70.8% 67.5% 61.7% 54.2% 50.8% 29.2% 25.8% 22.5% 20.8% 17.5% 15.0% 10.0% 3.3% Table 4: Student’s use of all strategies in six categories From the study’s results, as for discovering the meaning of a new word, strategy (Use English-Vietnamese dictionary) was the most commonly used strategy, while strategy 10 (Ask teacher for a sentence including the new word) was the least used As for consolidating a word in memory once it has been encountered, strategy 15 (Use English-language media) was the strategy students often used most, while strategy (Teacher checks student’s flashcards or word list for accuracy) was the least used 30 Among all strategies which were included in the survey questionnaire, the most commonly used strategy was using English-Vietnamese dictionary, and the least used was asking the teacher to check flashcards or word list for accuracy 31 CHAPTER 4: RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS 4.1 Suggestions on students’ vocabulary learning 4.1.1 The need for vocabulary learning strategy training Someone said that “Give a man a fish, and he eats for a day Teach him how to fish, and he eats for a lifetime.” This proverb is true in the case of learning English in general and English vocabulary learning in particular The students need to know how to learn effectively, and the teachers need to help them facilitate their learning process Although almost all students had already known about vocabulary learning strategies, they have not been formally taught vocabulary learning strategies in school The ways they get used to learning vocabulary mainly come from their struggle to study vocabulary or from their friends As we know, learning new vocabulary items has always been challenging for the students The type of strategies used by the students often depends on each individual However, inside the classroom, teachers can clarify the vocabulary learning strategies, remind students about them, and practice them to motivate the students’ independent vocabulary-building strategies Therefore, the researcher believes that vocabulary learning strategies should be introduced or taught to them in class Vocabulary learning strategy training would mean a lot to EFL students with limited vocabulary The students need to be provided with strategy training, which helps make language learning more effective; encourages a collaborative spirit between students and teachers Of course, nobody knows everything about how to learn languages But with the support of teachers, the students would find vocabulary learning more effective and meaningful 4.1.2 Learner responsibility First of all, each student should be made aware of their own responsibility in vocabulary learning Gu (1997) stated that learner initiative and independence are crucial factors to attain higher achievement levels Their willingness to put more effort into the learning process and to practice the learned vocabulary is an important factor for them to accomplish higher achievement From the study’s results, it can be seen that although the students were aware of the importance of 32 VLS in their English learning process, few of them spent more than 1-hour practicing VLS each day Although all students recognized the importance of the VLS in the vocabulary learning process, they did not spend much time practicing these strategies The researcher believes that the students should take more time to learn vocabulary and practice vocabulary learning strategies to expand their vocabulary knowledge 4.1.3 Dictionary strategies According to the study’s results, the bilingual dictionary (English – Vietnamese dictionary) was the most commonly used strategy It is noticed that a bilingual dictionary is a very first thing that students buy, and they would carry it with them during the language learning process Consulting the dictionary is a helpful strategy for accessing or confirming word meanings (Fraser, 1999), especially when learners can confirm their guessing with it However, it was found that most students often tried to obtain the Vietnamese equivalents of the target words rather than chose the appropriate meaning for the word in context They often overuse dictionaries in the language learning process When using a bilingual dictionary, students may rely too much on their own language rather than thinking and working in English Hence, there is always deliberation among language teachers and lexical scholars of whether dictionaries should be used in the classroom The author believes that students should make use of both bilingual and monolingual dictionaries Besides word meaning, students could learn grammatical vocabulary knowledge or word collocation, which is usually exemplified in sentences from dictionaries Other than that, dictionaries also provide the basic syntactic properties of the word, such as part of speech, phonemic transcription, and its usage from example sentences Nowadays, with e-dictionaries and online dictionaries, students are allowed to listen to the natural pronunciation (with US voice and UK voice) of a word 4.1.4 Memory strategies According to the study’s results, the students commonly used note-taking, written repetition, and verbal repetition strategies to consolidate a word in memory However, many students relied heavily on learning the meaning and the form of a word by rote Consequently, they found vocabulary learning difficult and boring with lots of repetition In order to improve spelling and word retention, the students 33 should also pay attention to the phonemic transcription, the phonological processing of a word and semantic processing strategies The prefix, suffix, and root of the word should be considered together to figure out the meaning of new words Language learners also need to discriminate that some suffixes, for example, “un-” or “in-“ carry a clear lexical meaning while others, for instance, “-tion” clearly indicate a part of speech 4.1.5 Use of vocabulary The research data showed that students lack use and practice vocabulary The author believes that they need more opportunities to practice their vocabulary or else they are likely to forget It can be noticed that few students learned vocabulary from group activities Less than a half of the students often interacted with native speakers As English major students, they need more opportunities to practice their vocabulary in substantive ways to develop their lexical competence Nowadays, students can make friends with foreign people much more accessible; it may be through social media and the Internet Although there is no natural, Englishspeaking environment for students to practice, group work or pair work activities focusing on applying the newly learned vocabulary would also be helpful 4.2 Limitations of the study and suggestions for further research Despite the researcher’s effort, the study still has some shortcomings because of time and knowledge limitations First of all, the data collection is not taken place on a larger scale for better generalization The number of second-year English major students participating in the study was relatively small in comparison with the number of students at Thuongmai University As a result, the representativeness of them was rather low Secondly, within the scope of a graduate thesis, the subject of the study mainly aims at the second-year English major students only This is the suggestion for further study with other research subjects such as first-year, third-year, or fourthyear students Last but not least, even though Schmitt’s classification is the most comprehensive one, it cannot embrace all the existing vocabulary learning strategies In further studies, researchers can use other techniques to investigate students’ vocabulary learning strategies 34 CONCLUSION With the hope to help improve English vocabulary learning for students at Thuongmai University, the graduation paper has concentrated on the following aims The first is finding out the student’s awareness of the importance of vocabulary learning strategies The second one is exploring what strategies TMU’s students are commonly used in the learning vocabulary process Then, proposing some possible suggestions on the enhancement of teaching and learning English vocabulary at Thuongmai University Based on what has been found in chapter 3, some of the most note-worthy concluding points can be withdrawn as follows Regarding the first research question, the student’s awareness of the importance of vocabulary strategies in their English learning process was realized Most participants asked highly evaluate the role of vocabulary learning strategies in learning English Hence, most of them agreed that vocabulary learning strategies should be taught in class Concerning the second research question, the study also indicated the strategy most and least frequently used by the major students Firstly, the results showed that the bilingual dictionary (English-Vietnamese dictionary) was the most frequently used strategy to discover a new word’s meaning However, most students were likely to try to obtain the Vietnamese equivalents of the target words rather than find the appropriate meaning for the word in context Next, asking teachers for a sentence including the new words and asking teachers for the meaning were the least frequently used strategies The result clearly showed that the students often hesitate to actively ask for their teachers’ help Secondly, to consolidate a word in memory, using English-language media and taking notes in class were the students' most frequently used strategies The least frequently used strategies were asking the teacher to check students' flashcards or word lists for accuracy and testing oneself with a word test It might be assumed that the students hesitated to interact with their teachers to improve vocabulary learning Also, most of them did not prefer to take word tests to evaluate their vocabulary knowledge 35 Finally, the study has proposed some suggestions for improving vocabulary learning The first suggestion is about the need for vocabulary learning strategy training The second one is in terms of learner responsibility Students should be made aware of their responsibility in vocabulary learning process The third one is about dictionary strategies The fourth one is about memory strategies And the last one is in connection with use of vocabulary 36 REFERENCES Catalan, R (2003) Sex differences in L2 vocabulary learning strategies International Journal of Applied Linguistics Chamot, A.U & EI-Dniary, P.B (1999), Teaching Learning Strategies to Language Students, Washington, DC: Center for International Education Do Thi Kim Oanh (2012), A study on English vocabulary learning strategies used by the first-year students at Hai Phong Community College, Graduation Thesis Fraser, C A (1999), Lexical Processing Strategy Use and Vocabulary Learning through Reading, In Wesche & Paribakht Gu, Y., & Johnson, R.K (1996), Vocabulary Learning Strategies and Language Learning Outcomes, Language Learning, 46, 643-679 Hornby, A.S (2006) Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English, Oxford University Press, UK Linse (2005), Teaching vocabulary to young learners, McGrraw-Hill: New York Maria Nosidlak (2013), Vocabulary Learning Strategies of the Advanced Students, Journal of Language Teaching and Research, Vol 4, No 4, Finland: Academy Publisher Nation, P (2001), Learning vocabulary in another language, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press O‟Malley, J M., & Charmot, A.U (1990), Learning Strategies in Second Language Acquisition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Oxford (2001), Language Learning Styles and Strategies, In M Celce-Murcia (Ed.) Oxford, R (1990), Language Learning Strategies: What every teachers should know, Boston: Heinle and Heinle Publishers Schmitt, N (1997), Vocabulary: description, acquisition and pedagogy Vocabulary learning strategies, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 37 Schmitt, N (2000), Vocabulary in language teaching, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Verma, G K., & Mallick, K (1999), Researching education: Perspectives and techniques Philadelphia: Open University Press Wen, Q F (2003), A Successful Road to English Learning Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press Wilkins, D (1972), Linguistics in language teaching, London: Edward Arnold William P Bintz (2011), Teaching Vocabulary Across the Curriculum, National Middle School Association 38 APPENDIX SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE Hello everyone, my name is Van Ly I am a final-year student from Faculty of English at Thuongmai University I am conducting a research project named "A study on vocabulary learning strategies used by the second-year English major students at Thuongmai University." This questionnaire aims to collect information regarding vocabulary learning strategies during your English learning process I would really appreciate it if you could spend some minutes filling out this survey Thank you for your help! PART I: GENERAL INFORMATION What is your name? …………………………………………………………………… What is your class? …………………………………………………………………… How long have you been studying English?  Less than years  to years  to years  More than years Have you ever heard of vocabulary learning strategies (in other words, ways to learn English vocabulary effectively)?  Yes  No How important you think vocabulary learning is in learning English?  Very important  Important  Not very important How much time you spend practicing vocabulary learning strategies?  Less than 30 minutes  30 minutes- 1-hour  hour- hours  More than hours Do you think that vocabulary learning strategies should be taught in class? Why?  Yes  No ………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………… ……………… PART II: VOCABULARY LEARNING STRATEGIES Question: What strategies you often use in your English vocabulary learning process? (You can choose more than an answer) I Vocabulary learning strategies used for discovering a new word’s meaning Determination strategies  Analyze the part of speech (noun, verb or adjective, etc.)  Analyze prefixes, suffixes and roots  Guess meaning of words from textual context  Analyze any available pictures or gestures  Use an English - Vietnamese dictionary  Use an English - English dictionary Social strategies  Ask the teacher for the meaning  Ask classmates for the meaning  Ask teacher for paraphrase or synonym of new word  Ask teacher for a sentence including the new word  Discover new meaning through group work activity II Vocabulary learning strategies used for consolidating a word in memory once it has been encountered Social strategies  Teacher checks student’s flash cards or word list for accuracy  Interact with native speakers Memory strategies  Connect word to a personal experience  Connect word to its synonyms and antonyms  Group words together to study them  Learn the words of idiom together  Memorize the prefix, suffix, and root of the word  Use new word in sentences Cognitive strategies  Verbal repetition  Written repetition  Write new words on a flash card to remember  Keep a vocabulary notebook  Use the vocabulary section in the textbook  Take notes in class Metacognitive strategies  Use English-language media  Test oneself with word test  Continue to study the word over time Other strategies ………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………… ……………… ... Classification of Nation (2001) In a more recent attempt, Nation (2001) proposed the classification of various vocabulary learning strategies The vocabulary learning strategies in the classification are... the students? ?? awareness of the importance of vocabulary learning strategies 1.3 Aims of the study The study aims at investigating the strategies used by the second-year English majors in vocabulary. .. study on vocabulary learning strategies used by the second-year English major students at Thuongmai University. " This questionnaire aims to collect information regarding vocabulary learning strategies