A Survey On The Use Of Primary School Students’ English Vocabulary Learning Strategies

Vocabulary is an indispensable element of a kind of language,without it,people can’t accept or convey emotions.The most important part of language learning is vocabulary,which is very important for language learning.Since the 1970s,the research on vocabulary learning strategies has attracted the attention of many scholars.Although many researchers have done a lot of work on it,few studies have been conducted on the vocabulary learning of primary school students.Vocabulary learning is still the most difficult task for primary school students.Therefore,it is of great significance to study vocabulary learning strategies.Based on O’Malley and Chamot’s classification system of learning strategies,meta-cognitive strategies,cognitive strategies and social/emotional strategies are named vocabulary learning strategies.This paper mainly discusses three questions:(1)What is the utilization rate of vocabulary learning strategies in primary school students?(2)Are there differences between boys and girls in the use of vocabulary learning strategies?(3)Are there differences between high score students and low score students in the use of vocabulary learning strategies?In order to explore these problems,a questionnaire survey was conducted on 204 students from Grade 5 of an ordinary primary school in He dong District,Tianjin,based on the research of vocabulary learning strategies.The results were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively.This survey aims to help students find their own vocabulary learning strategies and improve the efficiency of vocabulary learning.Reach conclusions as following:1.Primary school students use the most cognitive strategies in English vocabulary learning,followed by social or emotional strategies.Meta-cognitive strategies are the one that the least used strategies.2.There are significant differences between boys and girls in cognitive strategies,and boys and girls are not statistically significant differences between meta-cognition and social/affective strategies in different genders.3.There were clear differences between high score students and low score students in the use of each type of vocabulary learning strategy.There are some problems in the application of vocabulary learning strategies in primary school,for example,students are not good at using self-management strategies.In vocabulary learning,students often use repetition strategies.Lower grade students can not use various vocabulary learning strategies as well.In view of the above problems,the author gives corresponding suggestions.For example,in order to improve the self-management strategy,it is necessary to enhance students’independent learning ability and teachers’ supervision.To reduce repetition,teachers introduce various strategies to students in class.To give students more guidance in using various strategies and techniques.For low-score students,teachers should be more patient to teach them to use learning strategies,so that students have an interest in vocabulary learning strategies.