FINAL EXAM OF ACADEMIC WRITING (B) – SEMESTER 2021.

Vocabulary Learning Strategies in Foreign Language

IRNAWAN DARSAH

Irnawan Darsah

Academic Writing (B)

Semester 2021.1

Instructor: Deddy Amrand, Ph.D.

FINAL EXAM OF ACADEMIC WRITING (B) – SEMESTER 2021.1

INTRODUCTION PARAGRAPH

Research on this topic have generally emphasized on the types of vocabulary learning
strategies that are often used and effective in learning English as a foreign language. These
studies show that the types of strategies used in their research on vocabulary learning strategies
are very effective in increasing students' vocabulary in learning English as a foreign language.
(Amiryousefi, 2015; Goundar, 2019; Hamzah et al., 2009; Nirattisai & Chiramanee, 2014;
Patahuddin et al., 2017; Yaacob et al., 2019). Several authors (Al- Bidawi, 2018); Gorgoz &
Tican, 2020; Rabdi, 2016; Safian et al.,2014), also showed effective results but used different
types of strategies in improving vocabulary learning. Besides the different discoveries, existing
studies have used various methods. For instance, Al-Bidawi (2018), Amiryousefi (2015),
Goundar (2019), Hamzah et al. (2009), Nirattisai and Chiramanee (2014), Rabadi (2016), Safian
et al. (2014), and Yaacob et al. (2019) used descriptive statistics. Others, like Gorgoz and Tican
(2020) employed single survey, relational survey and causal comparative designs, and
Patahuddin (2017) used longitudinal survey design. Most researchers involved undergraduate
students in their studies, such as Al-Bidawi (2018), Hamzah et al. (2009), Nirattisai and
Chiramanee (2014), Rabadi (2016), and Safian et al. (2014). While other researchers use
different subjects, EFL teachers and learners Amiryousefi (2015), 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade
middle school students Gorgoz and Tican (2020), EFL learners Goundar (2019), 1st grades of
four junior high schools Patahuddin (2017), and secondary students Yaacob et al. (2019). It is
obvious from the previous literature that the most effective and frequently used types of
strategies in increasing vocabulary in EFL have been much researched and little research on self-
regulation skills for foreign language vocabulary learning strategies, where in previous studies
related to this topic, the results showed that in the process of independent learning, girls use
strategies more in all areas than boys (Gorgoz & Tican, 2020). So that research on the causes of
the low self-regulation ability of male students needs to investigated. The current study tries to
investigate this under research area.

BODY PARAGRAPHS

Studies on the topic of the most effective type of strategy used in vocabulary learning
strategies in English as foreign language tended to indicate that of the most effective types of

Instructor: Deddy Amrand, Ph.D. 1

FINAL EXAM OF ACADEMIC WRITING (B) – SEMESTER 2021.1

strategies used in VSL in EFL shows that the results of these research are very effective and
significant. For example, Amiryousefi (2015) noted that the use of various types of VLS in
learning English as a foreign language is very effective in increasing vocabulary. In his study,
Amiryousefi (2015) used descriptive statistics and involved EFL teachers and learners, included
392 participants comprising 320 students and 72 English teachers to explore usefulness of
various types of VLS in EFL. Using a 5-point likert-type scale questionnaire to collect data, he
found that teachers and students believe that using the vocabulary elements of a newly learned
word in repeated interactions to consolidate its meaning is an excellent and most effective
practice. It can be concluded that the use of this strategy is very helpful for students in
increasing their vocabulary because there is a consolidation of word meanings that can make
students remember the vocabulary they have learned. In a similar vein, Goundar (2019) who
explored the most effective strategy used of VLS in EFL with 53 EFL pupils. Using descriptive
statistics and the questionnaire survey to gather his data, the researcher discovered that the most
common VLS used by EFL students is the guessing method and students believe that repetition
is the most effective approach to retaining words. It was concluded from the study that the most
common tactic used by EFL learners to improve their vocabulary is repetition, then followed by
memorization, dictionary strategies, translation, and making use of background knowledge and
experience. For vocabulary learning strategies the most commonly used by EFL students is the
guess method.
The same result shown by Patahuddin et al. (2017) who investigated Strategy in
enhancing English vocabulary as a foreign language with 100 students. Utilize longitudinal
survey design and a closed-ended questionnaire to obtain their data, the researcher discovered
that the types of strategies that are often and effectively used by EFL learners in learning and
improving English vocabulary are practicing pronunciation, learning English tenses, practicing
English dialogue, practicing English translation, reading English text, memorizing and writing
exercises. It can be concluded that from the research that seven types of strategies are effective
strategies, but in order to expand and maintain the vocabulary they have learned, EFL students
are required to use repetition, memorization, dictionary tactics, translation, background
knowledge and experience. The next researcher is Yaacob et al. (2019) showed that the VSL
used by students was significantly effective. In their study, Yaacob et al. (2019) employed
descriptive statistics and involved secondary students and using 105 students to examine

Instructor: Deddy Amrand, Ph.D. 2

FINAL EXAM OF ACADEMIC WRITING (B) – SEMESTER 2021.1

Students’ knowledge and of VLSs in EFL. Using questionnaire to gather data, they discovered
that the most widely used strategy was the guessing strategy, followed by asking other people,
analyzing words, using a dictionary, and using newly learned words naturally with various
collocations, provided they had learned the word in a variety of contexts and with a large number
of collocations. These types of strategies have a significant relationship with collaborative
learning and engagement. They concluded that EFL students can easily use newly learned words
naturally, this becomes an effective strategy by interacting with group members and peers so as
to create collaborative learning and engagement. Thus, it may also support the idea that
interactivity with peers and lecturers affects vocabulary learning strategies (VLS). When using
the guessing strategy, students prefer to guess from context by first trying to understand the part
of speech the word belongs to.
In a similar result, Hamzah et al. (2009) employed descriptive statistics and a total of 250
participated in the research that examined learners' vocabulary learning strategies and its relation
to the learners' vocabulary size. The authors used Schmitt vocabulary learning strategies
questionnaire and vocabulary size test to collect their data. Their analysis showed that the
vocabulary learning strategies from best practice and from significance, i.e. using physical
actions when learning a word, interacting with native speakers, taking notes or highlighting,
learning new words over and over, using bilingual dictionaries, using English language media,
learning words together classmates, studying the sound of a word, and repeating words orally.
The conclusion is that the nine types of strategies are frequently used to acquire vocabulary, have
a deep correlation and affiliation effect on increasing vocabulary size. The next researchers were
Nirattisai and Chiramanee (2014) who examined the relationship between the students’
vocabulary learning strategies and their vocabulary size with 257 subjects. Using descriptive
statistics and questionnaire and the bilingual English-Thai version of vocabulary size test to
collect their data, the researcher found that the most frequently used strategy was the
determination strategy, followed by the metacognitive strategy, memory strategy, cognitive
strategy, and social strategy, respectively. Overall use of vocabulary learning strategies is
moderately correlated with vocabulary size. It was concluded that from the research that the
types of strategies used by students in learning vocabulary have a significant relationship with
vocabulary size.

Instructor: Deddy Amrand, Ph.D. 3

FINAL EXAM OF ACADEMIC WRITING (B) – SEMESTER 2021.1

Several studies (Al-Bidawi, 2018; Gorgoz & Tican, 2020; Rabadi, 2016; Safian et al.,
2014) observed the same result but have different type of VSL used. For example, Safian et al.
(2014) suggested that "meta-cognitive strategy is a type of strategy that is very often used in
vocabulary learning strategies" (1-4). In their study, Safian et al. (2014) used descriptive
statistics and involved 50 participants all of whom were undergraduates to examine relationship
between year of study and type of strategy most frequently used of VLS in EFL. Using the
questionnaires to collect data, they found that metacognitive strategy is the most preferred
strategy by the respondents as a strategy in learning and increasing vocabulary probably due to
the fact that as students, they have a high order in planning, monitoring in their own learning
process. They concluded that the type of metacognitive strategy used to learn vocabulary in
learning English tends to be effective and has an influence on the level of significance of the
relationship between the year of study and the type of strategy used. On the other hand, Al-
Bidawi (2018) noted that undergraduate EFL students prefer social strategies. In his research, Al-
Bidawi (2018) employed descriptive statistics and involved EFL undergraduate students and 94
participants to explore the most frequently used and most effective type of VLS in EFL. Al-
Bidawi (2018) states that “in this research the participants completed an electronic questionnaire,
which was presented on the university’s website to obtain data and analyzed using the Statistical
Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) program” (211-220). He discovered that social strategy
became the most popular of the five strategies or (domains) among EFL students. This discovery
can be enjoyable with the quality of social tactics, which allow students to engage with one
another and develop emotional skills such as empathy. He concluded that the type of social
strategy used to learn vocabulary in English learning very effective and is often used for EFL
students.
In a similar vein, according to Rabadi (2016), “the descriptive statistics were used to
find mean and standard deviation to answer the questions of the study” (47-58). Total of 110
undergraduate students took part in the study that investigated the most frequently used and
most effective type of VLS in EFL. The researchers used vocabulary learning strategy
questionnaire (VSLQ) to collect his data. Their analysis showed social strategy, which is one of
the most commonly used strategies. The conclusion was social strategy is a type of strategy that
is often and effectively used by EFL students to learn vocabulary in learning English. The next
researcher was Gorgoz and Tican (2020) who examined middle school students’ self-regulation

Instructor: Deddy Amrand, Ph.D. 4

FINAL EXAM OF ACADEMIC WRITING (B) – SEMESTER 2021.1

skills and vocabulary learning strategies in foreign language with 990 students. Gorgoz and
Tican (2020) state that “in the analysis of the collected data, frequencies, percentages,
independent-samples t-test and one-way variance analysis (ANOVA), Post-Hoc Tests (Tukey
and Dunnett’s C) and correlation analysis were used” (25-42), the researcher found that the
strategies for learning vocabulary in a foreign language were found to very significantly
depending on gender, grade level, depending on the attitudes of mothers and fathers, and on the
level of interest in English courses at the university in sub-dimensions of memory strategy,
cognitive strategy, meta-cognitive strategy, affective strategy and across the scale. In this
case,
a significant correlation was found between the self-regulation skills of students and the
vocabulary of the learning strategies they used in learning foreign languages. It was concluded
from the study that middle school students' self-regulation skills and foreign language
vocabulary learning strategies have a significant correlation.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

This literature review has attempted to show that types of vocabulary learning strategies
that are often used and effective in learning English as a foreign language. Most studies on this
topic have used descriptive statistics, for instance (Al-Bidawi, 2018; Amiryousefi, 2015;
Goundar, 2019; Hamzah et al., 2009; Nirattisai & Chiramanee, 2014; Rabadi, 2016; Safian et al.,
2014; Yaacob et al., 2019) and involved undergraduate students, such as Al-Bidawi (2018),
Hamzah et al. (2009), Nirattisai and Chiramanee (2014), Rabadi (2016), and Safian et al. (2014).
A few studies employed causal comparative designs and longitudinal survey design, for instance
(Gorgoz & Tican, 2020; Patahuddin et al., 2017). In addition, there were not many researchers
that involved junior high schools in their study. Therefore, it seems that more research needed to
focus on emphasizing self-regulatory skills for vocabulary learning strategies in foreign
languages, perhaps using a causal comparative design or a longitudinal survey design and
involving junior high schools. Current study efforts set out to tackle this important area.

Instructor: Deddy Amrand, Ph.D. 5

FINAL EXAM OF ACADEMIC WRITING (B) – SEMESTER 2021.1

REFERENCES

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Instructor: Deddy Amrand, Ph.D. 6