1.3 Attitudes and vocabulary learning Strategies
1.3.2 Role of attitudes to choice and use of vocabulary learning strategies
As identified above, attitudes reflect learners’ views about language learning. When they like something, they have motivation to finish it. For example, if students are not interested in learning English, they cannot study English well. Even if students are compelled to learn, they only try to learn in a forced way without any interest, pleasure and motivation.
Many researches look at the influence of language learners’ attitudes on strategy choice through their different cultural backgrounds. The connection of specific beliefs to specific learning strategies is based on cultural backgrounds. Previous studies of EFL learners’
beliefs and choice of language learning strategies indicate that the importance of learners’
attitudes. There are some studies such as Chang’s (1993) and Rao’s (1996) relating to influences of Chinese learners’ attitudes on RL strategy use and choice. In the West, learners believe that high ability will bring success, and that failure is the result of low ability. In the contrary, Asian learners believe that effort and hard work can compensate for lack of ability as Cortazzi & Jin (1996) point out. Attitude is actually an effective encouragement in helping students to access a new language. In learning English, especially learning vocabulary, attitude holds an important role to choose and use vocabulary learning strategies. No matter whether RL is positive or negative, there should be no denial that RL is used by language learners, and that it can be as effective as other strategies just because they favour RL than other strategies. In fact, of many groups of
learning strategies (in Table 1.1 and 1.2) which are suggested for English vocabulary learning strategies, Memory strategies are preferred by many learners like traditional methods.
1.4. Importance of memory strategies in vocabulary learning strategies 1.4.1 Rote learning
1.4.1.1 Definition of rote learning
Traditionally, rote is considered as memory or habit, rather than understanding.
According to Cambridge International Dictionary of English (1995:1235), rote learning(RL) means learning something in order to be able to repeat it from memory rather than learning it in order to understand it. It is shown that Rote learning is memorization. Besides, Macquarie Dictionary also quoted from Biggs (1997:1), “rote learning is considered as learning in a mechanical way without thought of meaning".
Moore (2000:1) stated that rote learning is a method involving repetition and memorisation.
From the above definitions, RL does not involve any processes which enable the learner to understand or interpret the information learnt. Rote learning is only memorising or storing the information learners get for later use; RL is basically a simple and passive process.
However, some other researchers have positive comments about RL. For example, Gairns
& Redman (1986:93) point out that RL is a memorisation technique which has a long history in language learning: RL involves repetition of target language items either silently or aloud. RL may involve not only oral but also writing form. These definitions focus on repetition, practice and memorisation. They all refer to the strategies which contribute to storage and retrieval of new knowledge.
Repetition
Oxford (1990:45) categorised repetition into cognitive groups. Repetition is the phenomenon of saying or doing something over and over such as listening to something several times; rehearsing or imitating a native speaker. In many researches, repetition is considered a type of strategy most frequently used by foreign language (FL) learners.
Practice
Practice refers to strategies which contribute to the storage and retrieval of language
while focusing on accuracy of usage. Practice involves strategies such as: repetition, rehearsal, experimentation, application of rules, and imitation.
Memorisation
Memorisation also focuses on the storage and retrieval of language. In memorisation, attention is paid to the storage and retrieval process. Gairns & Redman (1986:93) point out that RL is a memorisation technique involving repetition. According to them, some main features of RL have been shown as follows.
Rote learning strategies
To read silently or aloud
To write down the items (more than once)
To learn in list forms or cards (can be taken anywhere and studied at any free moment)
To use typical examples
To find translation equivalents
To find definitions
To group paired items
To memorise irregular verbs
1.4.1.2 Importance of rote learning in vocabulary strategies
Rote learning is used in many strategies such as translation and audio-lingual. However, its role displayed specially clear in vocabulary learning strategies. RL actually suggests a lot of effective ways of remember vocabulary. Learners can remember new words through repetition of these words silently or loudly, use words cards or flash cards, review them many times, etc. In the conditions in which technology of information, internet and visual aid have not been supplied; and education still brings traditional factors, RL is one of the most popular ways in vocabulary learning. Through repetition, practice and memorization, vocabulary can be remembered more easily than other strategies. Gairns & Redman (1986) shows that RL is evaluated as an effective method which helps learners to memorise vocabulary in short time and leads them to reach high levels of proficiency.
Although, RL has advantages in vocabulary learning, it also gets negative comments.
Therefore, The concepts of RL can be classified into two broad negative and positive categories.
1.4.2 Attitudes about the role of rote learning in vocabulary learning strategies 1.4.2.1 Negative view of rote learning
Some researchers give negative comments on RL. According to these researchers RL is understood as the mechanical use of the memory without necessarily understanding what is memorized. RL means surface level learning. For example, Gu & Johnson (1996) state that visual repetition of new words was the strongest negative predicator of both vocabulary size and general proficiency. They described RL as an ineffective strategy and learners who used it as Passive Strategy Users. Some empirical evidence from recent studies strongly supports view of passive RL. The studies argue that RL constitutes an obstacle to creative learning. Nelson (2001) seems to see RL as a rigid learning strategy and emphasises that RL has impaired students’ learning abilities. Overall, the above- mentioned researchers believe that RL is not conducive to creativity. They consider RL is a passive, rigid, uncreative way of learning. Further more, RL is not helpful and effective for students’ vocabulary learning. Some other researchers present practical examples to demonstrate what they see as the ineffectiveness of RL. Cheung (2000), for example, argues that Hong Kong needs employees who are more creative: the type of free thinkers which the current education system fails to produce. He complains that Hong Kong's RL-based educational system seems to reward memorisation highly, but students who have only learned by heart often lack the thinking patterns needed to apply this knowledge to real-world problems.
1.4.2.2 Positive of rote learning
Despite the negative views about RL, there are positive opinions about RL in vocabulary learning. According to these opinions, RL is an effective way of getting basic knowledge in the early stages of language learning. RL is preferable because basic skills of learning can be developed through RL and it may be beneficial for the accuracy of knowledge. The positive views about RL also suggest that RL may help consolidate knowledge and deepen understanding. Rubin & Thompson’s (1994) study indicates that language learners who prefer traditional ways of learning may be more reluctant to use other strategies and as a certainty, they choose RL. Besides, Gairns & Redman (1986:
93) make the following comment on RL: In the early stages of language learning, repetition gives the students the opportunity to manipulate the oral and written forms of language items, and many learners derive a strong sense of progress and achievement
from this type of activity. Schmitt (1997:132-133) also states, “commonly used vocabulary learning strategies seem to be simple memorisation, repetition, and taking notes on vocabulary.” Rubin & Thompson’s (1994) study suggests that using RL to retain a small amount of material is easier than other Memory strategies . Therefore, sometimes, mechanical strategies can be favoured over more complex ones. Schmitt (1997:201) found that repetition was the most commonly mentioned strategy. Moreover, a research carried out by Crothers and Suppes (1967) revealed that seven repetitions were sufficient for learners to master 108 Russian-English word pairs. Nation (2001) claims that RL is an effective way of learning a great deal of vocabulary in a short time. Tinkham (1989) found that Japanese learners tended to have well developed rote learning skills. He believed that there is no better way to develop basic skills except through RL: repetition - regular correct practice over a period of time. This view is applied to the fields of music, sports, language and art that the more often learners repeat an activity, the better they become at it. Oxford (1990:70) provides some examples to show that some FL learners understand foreign words better by listening, reading or writing them repeatedly. She states, “ Although the strategy of repeating might not at first sound particularly creative, important, or meaningful, it can be used in highly innovative ways, is actually essential for all four language skills such as listening, speaking, reading and writing.”
Nation (2001:74, 76) stresses that Repetition is essential for vocabulary learning because there is so much to know about each word that one meeting with it is not sufficient to gain this information, and because vocabulary items must not only be known, they must be known well so that they can be fluently accessed. Repetition thus adds to the quality of knowledge and also to the quantity or strength of the knowledge. Biggs (1997) states that RL is the combination of memorisation and understanding. He also points out that RL identifies its contribution to EFL vocabulary learning. Interestingly, Moore (2000:1) reports: “We saw rote learning in China and it works”. He has identified two major misconceptions in understanding Asian students.
First, RL is not a surface approach, but an integration of memorising and understanding.
Second, many Asian students prefer to be passive receivers of information. In fact, to Asian learners, RL is not only a surface approach, but it is an integration of memorising and understanding.