An Investigation into Vocabulary Learning Strategies Used by Senior High School Students in Taiwan

本研究旨在探討台灣高中學生學習英語字彙時所使用之學習策略，除了解各種不同字彙學習策略的使用頻率情形，找出較常和較少使用之字彙學習策略，探求字彙學習策略的使用和字彙成就表現的關係外，並找出字彙成就高者和字彙成就低者對學習策略使用之不同處，藉此，俾能提供老師有效教學及學生有效學習字彙之依據。 本研究以271位高三學生為調查對象，研究工具為字彙學習策略問卷和字彙測驗。分析方法主要採量化分析，包括描述性統計、皮爾遜積差相關分析及獨立樣本t檢定。 本研究結果如下：(一)最常使用的是認知策略，最少使用的是社會策略。(二)學生偏愛機械記憶或與拼字及發音有關之策略。(三)學生的策略使用和其字彙成就表現有明顯相關。(四)字彙學習成就較高者與字彙成就學習較低者在策略使用上亦有明顯差異。高字彙學習成就者較喜重複念誦記憶單字的策略，並傾向於有上下文的情境中學習單字；低字彙學習成就者偏愛重複書寫的策略，並傾向學習孤立的單字。This study investigated the vocabulary learning strategies used by senior high students in Taiwan. The aim was (a) to investigate the frequencies of different vocabulary learning strategies use; (b) to find out the most and the least frequently used strategies; (c) to explore the relationship between strategy use and vocabulary size; and (d) to identify the differences in strategy use between good and poor learners. A total of 271 senior high students in northern Taiwan participated in the study. A vocabulary learning strategies questionnaire and a Vocabulary Levels Test were administered to the participants as instruments. The collected data were analyzed by using SPSS version 10.0, including descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlations, and independent-samples t-tests. The results are summarized as follows. (1) Cognitive strategies were reported as the most frequently used strategies while metacognitive and social strategies the least frequently used strategies. (2) Students favored strategies related to “rote repetition” or “the form of a word.” (3) Students’ strategy use was significantly correlated with their vocabulary size. (4) There was a significant difference in strategy use between good and poor learners. Good learners tended to learn words in context while poor learners tended to learn words in isolation. The findings of the study suggest that teachers should introduce students to a variety of vocabulary learning strategies, especially deep strategies and strategies related to context