English Vocabulary Learning Strategies Of Senior High School Students

As is known to all, vocabulary plays an important role in language learning and it is an integral part of the three components(pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar) of language. Wilkins(1972) a famous linguist once stated that, without grammar we can convey very little things, without vocabulary we can convey nothing. Vocabulary learning is a complex process. For most Chinese students, one of the main problems in the process of learning English they should face is vocabulary learning. English teaching and learning are considered to be more time consuming, but get less reward, even though teachers and students know that vocabulary is one of the essential components of the language system.In order to give a suggestion for the English learning of senior high school students and teachers, the author conducted an investigation on English vocabulary learning strategies in senior high school. Many researchers have turned their interest into vocabulary learning strategies in the previous study, but most of their research subjects were college students or adults learners, few of them were about senior high school students. The author tried to work out which kind of English vocabulary learning strategies are more popular in senior high school students. In the thesis, the author will sum up senior high students usage in learning strategies with one questionnaire about vocabulary learning strategies and two vocabulary test papers, the questionnaire and the vocabulary size tests are adopted for quantitative analysis through SPSS. The author hoped that the findings and measures put forward after her research will help students conquer the difficulties of learning English vocabulary and cultivate their confidence. The following questions is answered in the paper:(1) What strategies do students actually and frequently use in English vocabulary learning in senior high school?(2) How do male and female students apply vocabulary learning strategies in their daily practice?(3) What is the relation between the students’ using of vocabulary learning strategies and their achievement in vocabulary learning?(4) What is the impact of vocabulary learning strategy training on students’ learning?In September, 2014, the author began the vocabulary learning strategy training in senior high school. Two intact classes taught by the author in Dong Ping Senior High School participated in the study. All the subjects were of senior two, 118 in total. This study investigates the overall pattern of the vocabulary learning strategies used by senior high school students and the effect of the vocabulary learning strategy training. Besides, the differences the use of vocabulary learning strategies between male and female students and the high proficient and low proficient students are also included as well as the effect of vocabulary learning strategies on senior high school students. The following parts give us a general description:1. Senior high school students use different kinds of vocabulary learning strategies in their learning, but at medium level. The students are negative in the use of meta-cognitive strategies, that is to say, many students have no awareness of self-evaluation strategy, plan-making strategy or self-monitoring strategy. As to cognitive strategies, they mainly use repetition strategy, contextualized strategy, practice strategy, guessing strategy, dictionary use strategy and rehearsal strategy.2. There are great differences between male and female students in the use of vocabulary learning strategies. In the strategies like plan-making strategy, self-evaluation strategy, visual repetition strategy, guessing strategy, dictionary use strategy and note-taking strategy, female students are more frequency in using them than male students. Compared with female students, male students prefer to use self-monitoring strategy, grouping strategy, contextualized strategy, association strategy, word-structure strategy and affective control strategy. However, in using written repetition strategy and cooperation strategy, male and female students are almost the same.3. High proficient students and low proficient students differ greatly in the use of some meta-cognitive strategies and cognitive strategies. As to the strategies such as self-evaluation strategy, visual repetition strategy, contextualized strategy, practice strategy, guessing strategy, association strategy and note-taking strategy, high proficient students use the frequency of vocabulary learning strategies is much higher than low proficient students. But in the use of written repetition strategy and cooperation strategy, the differences between the two groups are small.4. The vocabulary learning strategy training is positive to the senior high school students learning process in some degree.In the end of the paper, the author put forward some suggestions on meta-cognitive strategies and social/affective strategies as well as some sub-strategies of cognitive strategies for these parts are the weak points in the students’ strategies application.