A Survey Of Intentional And Incidental Vocabulary Learning Modes And Vocabulary Learning Strategy Use

In the field of second language acquisition, vocabulary learning has been a very hot areafor long. In recent years, researchers both at home and abroad have carried on quite a fewresearches on vocabulary learning modes and its strategies. Since the1970’s, researchconcerns in the field of second language teaching and learning have shifted from methods ofteaching to learner characteristics. A large number of researchers abroad have proved thesuperiority of the incidental learning over intentional learning. But, the researchers on secondlanguage acquisition in China hold different views on this. To answer the question whether L2vocabulary is mainly gained through intentional or incidental learning, this thesis investigatesthe students in the use of vocabulary learning mode under classroom setting, in a Chinesesenior middle school. It focuses on finding out which vocabulary learning mode is morefrequently used by Chinese senior school English learners, intentional or incidental learning.The present study attempts to explore (1) the more frequently used vocabulary learningmodes by Chinese high school students;(2) the use of VLS under the two modes by seniorschool students;(3) differences in the use of VLM and VLS by different genders; The subjectsare304senior high school students from two Middle schools in Xingtai, Hebei Province. Theresearch instruments are questionnaire and individual interview in aim of investigating themain vocabulary learning mode by senior students and further investigate the strategy useunder the two modes and by different genders. All the quantitative data are analyzed by SPSS12.0. Firstly, by Paired-sample t-test, the main VLM used by these subjects is decided.Secondly, all the data is input into the program for analysis and descriptive statistics are usedto describe the detailed use of each strategy. Thirdly, by Independent Sample T-test thedifferences in employing VLS between male and female students are to be compared.Several findings are revealed from the present study. Firstly, senior school students canlearn words both by intentional and incidental learning, however, they still adopt theintentional vocabulary learning as their main learning mode; secondly, students employvarious strategies to learn English vocabulary. The more frequently used strategies in INTVLare repetition, word-list, exercise and word-formation strategies and the least use isassociation. While the more frequently used strategies in INCVL are writing and speakingstrategies and the least use is listening strategy. Also, male and female students differ greatlyin the use of word-list, writing, listening, and word-formation strategies. Next, female usedalmost all the strategies more frequently than male, which prove female students is superior tomale students in the use of both vocabulary learning mode and VLS.On the base of the above findings, the author provides some suitable implications forvocabulary learning and teaching. First, help students combine the two learning modes intheir vocabulary learning. Second, teachers should help their students realize the importanceof vocabulary learning strategies. Then, teachers must be aware of the differences in VLS useby different gender, and provide a variety of instructional techniques to cater for the needs ofdifferent groups of students.