The Use of Vocabulary Learning Strategies by Good and Poor Language Learners : A case study of Chinese non-English major sophmores

Abstract: The use of vocabulary learning strategies is one crucial factor that affects the success of foreign vocabulary acquisition. This case study investigated a group of Chinese sophmores’ employment of learning strategies in their learning process in order to identify the most frequently used strategies and the least frequently used strategies, and compared good language learners with poor learners. A 26-item five-scale point questionnaire was employed for data collection. Through careful calculation and detailed discussion, it was found that both good and poor language learners used many effective strategies for vocabulary learning. This group of students were found that they tended to carry a pocket dictionary to look up new words while they were least likely to look up new words in an English-English dictionary. Good language learner were found to employ learning strategies more frequently than poor leaners in 21 strategies, which revealed that vocabulary learning strategies were positively related to learning outcomes.