Students’ Gender Differences In Choice Of English Vocabulary Learning Strategies From Senior High School

The thesis aims to explore the students’ gender differences in choice of English vocabularylearning strategies from senior high school. As the basic of English learning, Englishvocabulary learning has aroused a lot of attention with the deep study of second languageacquisition. On the other hand, with the deep research on individual differences, the genderdifferences have been focused in the field of second language acquisition. Based on thisintersecting point of researches, the thesis will study the gender differences of senior highschool students in the choice of English vocabulary learning strategies using empirical study.Through questionnaire and interview, the study is carried out among100students including50female students and50male students and the results are reported quantitatively andqualitatively. Based on the classification of learning strategies given by O’Malley&Chamot,the research uses the software SPSS to analyze the gender differences in choice of Englishvocabulary learning strategies. The results show that female students use moremeta-cognitive and cognitive strategies and there are significant differences in meta-cognitivestrategies and some specific strategies in cognitive strategies between genders, while malestudents use more social strategies than female students.According to the gender differences in choice of English vocabulary learning strategies, someimplications in language learning and teaching are proposed. In the learning process, morelearning strategies should be introduced and acquired. Only if students master the strategies,they could use these strategies properly. On the other hand, in the teaching process, facultiesshould raise the intention of the instruction of strategies and according to the differencesbetween genders, faculties should instruct students to use strategies appropriately andoptimize their vocabulary learning.