The effectiveness of vocabulary learning strategies in developing the mental lexicon of the EFL learners : a quasi experimental study

Other Title(s)

فاعلية استراتيجيات تعلم المفردات في تطوير القاموس الذهني لدى دارسي اللغة الانجليزية كلغة أجنبية : دراسة تجريبية

Dissertant

Sulayman, al-Badri Abbas al-Zubayr

Thesis advisor

al-Tahir, Ahmad Babakr

University

Omdurman Islamic University

Faculty

Faculty of Arts

Department

Department of English Language and Literature

University Country

Sudan

Degree

Ph.D.

Degree Date

2012

English Abstract

This study aims at examining the effectiveness of using vocabulary learning strategies by Sudanese EFL learners at Omdurman Islamic University to develop their vocabulary knowledge.

It is a quantitative and experimental study; it adopts the quasi-experimental design as a major methodology.

The study has focused on four types of vocabulary learning strategies.

They are dictionary strategies, guessing the meaning of new words from context, interactional (social) strategies and the memory strategies.

A purposive sample of one hundred and ninety five (195) Sudanese students is selected from the male and female students who were registered in a second year in the programme of English Language and literature for the academic year 2009/2010.

All sample subjects were given a pre-test and then they were divided into control and experimental groups.

And due to the segregation of male and female students, the study has two categories of grouping which has two control groups and two experimental groups.

Thus, the female control group consists of fifty three (53) students; the male control group consists of forty (40) students, whereas the female experimental group contains fifty seven (57) students and the male one contains forty five (45) students. The pre-test is used to test the homogeneity of the two groups of the sample concerning their background knowledge and use of vocabulary learning strategies chosen for this study.

After that the two experimental groups were trained on how to use the four chosen strategies of vocabulary learning through the teaching of the course entitled ‘Reading II’, and the four strategies were integrated in the course material and handouts.

The cognitive academic language learning approach (CALLA) model of strategy-based instruction is used as a classroom procedure.

The training course took fourteen weeks (14), for four hours per week for each group.

A week after the end of the training classes, all the subjects were given a post-test which is designed for the purpose of finding out the effect of the direct training of using vocabulary learning strategies by the two experimental groups on developing their vocabulary knowledge and their mental lexicon.

Then, the post-test is marked and its scores were statistically analyzed and compared with the pre-test scores. Finally, after the data were analyzed, the study has concluded with the significant results, which are presented in detail in Chapter Five.

The most important findings are summarized as follows: 1.

The use of strategies of 'guessing the meaning of new words from context' and 'memory strategies' by EFL learners at Omdurman Islamic University are the most effective techniques in improving their vocabulary knowledge.

2.

The analysis and results of the post-test show that the experimental groups outperformed the control groups in the paradigmatic aspect of the vocabulary knowledge (remembering and recalling). 3.

The strategy-based instruction of L2 vocabulary learning shows that there is a significant change in the repertoire of vocabulary-learning strategies used by the EFL learners at Omdurman Islamic University.

4.

The strategy-based instruction of L2 vocabulary learning shows that there is an effective increase in the size of the mental lexicon the EFL learners at Omdurman Islamic University.

5.

The direct training of vocabulary learning strategies to the EFL learners at Omdurman Islamic University increases the use of certain vocabulary learning strategies.

6.

There are gender differences among the EFL learners (males and females) at Omdurman Islamic University concerning the use of guessing from the context and the use of the monolingual dictionaries strategies.

7.

There is a significant relationship between using vocabulary-learning strategies by the EFL learners at Omdurman Islamic University and the expansion of their mental lexicon.

Main Subjects

Educational Sciences

Topics

• Education
• Higher education
• Learning
• Second language learning
• Sudan
• English language

No. of Pages

203

Table of Contents

• APA
• MLA
• AMA

Language

English

Data Type

Arab Theses

Record ID

BIM-363744