A Comparative Study Of Vocabulary Learning Strategies Between Good And Poor Learners In Senior High School

Vocabulary is the foundation of language,which carries the meaning and gives expression to pronunciation and grammar.Without vocabulary acquisition and accumulation,it is hard to learn or use a language well.However,vocabulary learning is one of the most difficult parts for language learners.The master of vocabulary can directly affect the learners’ study results and their word self-concept,which makes the study of vocabulary learning strategies particularly important.In this paper,the author used the methods of Think-aloud and interview to investigate 24 senior high school students’ vocabulary learning strategies in order to find out:(1)whether there are differences between the good and poor learners in vocabulary learning strategies?(2)Whether thereare differences between students of different gender in vocabulary learning strategies?The investigation found that:(1)good learners can use different strategies comprehensively and efficiently in the process of vocabulary learning,while poor learners rely more on strategies like mechanical memorization;(2)good learners usually use metacognitive strategies and social/affective strategies.They often reflect on their own learning,and make reasonable arrangement of learning according to their actual condition.All of them have strong self-monitoring ability,but poor English learners can’t do well in these aspects;(3)gender differences can influence the choice of learning strategies:boys tend to use association,speculation and other deep processing strategies,while girls are not good at it.Based on the above investigation the author’s practical experience,several vocabulary teaching suggestions for high school students are put forward.