Study On Vocabulary Learning Strategies Of No-English Majors At Tsinghua University In The CALL Environment

The present thesis attempts to explore the overall pattern of Vocabulary Learning Strategies adopted by Chinese college students on the CALL environment. It also tends to find out what strategies are correlated with students'performance in English proficiency test. In addition, a comparison study on Vocabulary Learning Strategies adopted by High-achievers and Low-achievers is conducted vie Independent-Sample Test; the questionnaire adopted in the present study, modified from those of Stoffer (1995), Schmitt (1997) , Oxford (1990), Nation (2001),Gu and Johnson (1996) respectively, which is designed on the basis of the framework of O'Malley and Chamot (1990); and a Vocabulary Level Test, adopted from that of Nation (1990) in the college level, is delivered to 120 undergraduates and graduates from Tsinghua University. Last but not least, the study tentatively explored the design of the supplemental vocabulary exercise on how to better facilitate the target vocabulary learning process. A typical feature of the current study lies that it provides an open and flexible space for respondents to put forward their individual ideas. By dint of the statistical software SPSS 12.0 for Windows, data analysis reveals the followings.(1) Most students report to adopt at least one strategy in their vocabulary learning processes. Nevertheless, the overall frequency of vocabulary learning strategies is not as high as expected. Among them, the most commonly used ones include the strategies such as dictionary consultancy, rote-memory, note-taking, and sample sentence;(2) In spite that a majority of the respondents highlight the importance of context in the target vocabulary learning process, but most students more usually memorize words through decontextualized approaches such as rote repetition than elaboration strategies;(3) The survey results reveal the top three difficulties and obstacles: (a)Technical terms (such as technology, medicine, or law); (b) No equivalents in Chinese; and (c) Word forms;(4) A majority of the respondents suggest the following information will be helpful in learning the target vocabulary successfully: (a) Sample sentences; (b) Explanations on how to use new vocabularies; (c) Errors that peers often make; and (d) Explanations on affixes and word roots;(5) A majority of the respondents show a positive concern of E-learning assistance in vocabulary learning process.The present study also states the tentative implications for vocabulary learning and teaching practice from the perspectives of EFL learners, EFL instructors and supplemental exercise designers; and provides some tentative recommendations for future studies on the basis of the limitation of the present study.