Research on College English Vocabulary Learning Strategies and Teaching Techniqu
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Abstract. This article investigated four available ways of English vocabulary learning strategies employed by non-English majored college students， discussed their efficiency and proposed the most scientific and effective strategies for vocabulary learning and teaching. Through empirical experiment and statistic analysis， rote claims to be widely used but turns out to be boring and least effective； context learning and targeted learning proves to be positively and significantly related to English test results； mutual learning or cooperation is rare among college students.
Keywords： English Vocabulary Learning Strategies， Teaching techniques， Rote， Context， Target， Cooperation.
1. Introduction
Vocabulary， pronunciation and grammar are known as the three elements of language learning. After English learning at secondary level， college students are supposed to have mastered necessary phonetics and grammar knowledge and skills. However， the vocabulary of Chinese college students still does not meet the standards of reading academic articles [1]. College students， especially non-English majors often claim that English words and expressions are too many to memorise， thereby limiting the improvement of listening， speaking， reading， writing as well as translation.
McCarthy thinks that without enough words accumulated， one cannot effectively and properly communicate in his second language [2]. Traditional college English teachers tend to spend time explaining vocabulary but ignore passing memory techniques and strategies to students. As a consequence， students are lack of systematic understanding and conscious employment of proper vocabulary learning strategies. Most students are misled and present low English learning efficiency. Therefore， how to effectively develop college students’ English vocabulary skills and improve the efficiency of vocabulary learning becomes a priority in teaching English.
2. System of Vocabulary Learning Strategies and Empirical Experiment
College students should at first possess systematic knowledge of English vocabulary learning strategies， which is the precondition of using them. Hence， college English lecturers are obliged to explain in detail the definition， classification as well as practical application of various vocabulary learning strategies （VLS） in teaching.
Based on Oxford’s definition of learning strategies， vocabulary learning strategies could be referred as actions which vocabulary learners employ to make vocabulary learning （VL） more efficient， self-oriented and pleasant [3]. O’Malley and Chamot list a series of vocabulary learning strategies and divide them into three categories， namely cognitive strategies， meta-cognitive strategies and social/affective strategies [4]. The article applies O’Malley and Chamot’s categorisation.
2.1 Cognitive Strategies
Cognitive strategies are learning strategies that involve deliberate manipulation of language to improve learning. Usually cognitive strategies could be divided into two levels： formal processing which deepens memory by mechanical repetition and semantic processing which helps vocabulary retention by methods such as categorisation， context， visualisation and word formation， just to list a few here [5].
This paper mainly focuses on two cognitive strategies which are rote repetition and context strategy. The former strategy is based on learning facts without much reference to meaning and the latter one implies learning vocabulary through techniques such as extensive reading including news， movies， novels and so on.
2.2 Meta-cognitive Strategies
Meta-cognition is a psychological term put forward by the American psychologist J. H. Flavell in year 1976. According to Ellis， Meta-cognitive strategies are strategies that facilitate learning by conscious efforts of remembering words [6]. Successful vocabulary learners will actively target， monitor and regulate their learning activities. Here the strategies could be properly described as targeted and well-planned and are often realised through conscious and continuous review especially after first learning.
2.3 Social/Affective Strategies
Social/affective strategies are ways by which learners use to interact with other learners and native speaker. These strategies provide indirect support for language learning through increasing cooperation and affective stimulus through teamwork [7].
2.4 Empirical Experiment and Results
The experiment took place at Hubei University of Science and Technology among 150 voluntary college students， all of whom were not English majored. They were asked to number the using frequency of the four vocabulary strategies （rote， context/extensive reading， target/conscious review and cooperation） with five Likert scales ranging from 1 （do not use） to 5 （only use） and to take a vocabulary test. The vocabulary test results （the endogenous variable） were regressed on the four strategies （the exogenous variables） in order to test correlation between endogenous and exogenous variables. Out of 150 volunteers， 143 students validly answered the survey. The statistic results are shown in Table 1 as follow.
3. Analysis and Application of Vocabulary Learning Strategies and Teaching Techniques
According to Table 1， students use the social/affective strategy least frequently since it has the smallest mean， which indicates that the students prefer to learn individually. A very good example of social/affective strategy is the existence of the English club in colleges. However， most students show hesitance and do not actually participate in such activities. Moreover， according to its r-value and p-value， it is not significantly correlated to vocabulary test results and the time is spared for other strategies.
The results clearly state that the mechanical repetition strategy or rote learning is negatively correlated with vocabulary test outcome as the r-value is a minus. Rote learning turns out to be in vain because this kind of strategy isolates words from real-word situation and context. The phenomenon corresponds with Schouten-van’s conclusion that if learning new words alone， there would be no supporting points； despite the fact that learners have spent a great deal of time learning vocabulary， they tend to forget fast [8]. Unfortunately， most college students show preference to memorising words through rote learning. The largest mean goes to rote learning without doubt. Therefore， college English teachers should guide students to abandon the old way step by step and introduce different approaches to English learners.
Context strategy is significantly related to vocabulary test results with a p value of 0.017. Just like Gui says， the meaning of words can only to be learned in the context just like remembering a person’s face from different angles [9]. Concerning vocabulary teaching techniques， words should not to be taught as isolated items but to be taught in context. Sufficient variation in context should be introduced to ensure that learners grasp every delicate meaning of a word and its appropriateness to the situation. To be specific， college student could be encouraged to extend their reading including news， magazines and movies. Various contexts add additional meaning and other background knowledge of a word. Frequent exposure of a word also helps consolidate retention. Moreover， reading news and magazines than mere textbooks could make learners feel fresh in the process of learning English vocabulary.
Meta-cognitive strategy namely targeted and conscious review is less frequently employed by college students compared to rote and context strategy. However， it shows highest degree of significance. Those who regularly review learns better than those who do not. If properly used， it may improve students’ English abilities to a great deal. Explanation could be found in the forgetting curve theory. Reviewers take less time than beginners in the learning process. The more one reviews， the less time he needs and the slower he forgets. That is why the words should be reviewed after fresh memorisation. Based on the above theory， college students ought to develop their awareness in meta-cognitive strategies in sense of clear target， conscious review and frequent monitoring. Here the writer recommends a way called private word list where the new words and those which are difficult to memorise are listed. Every item consists of the spelling， pronunciation， meaning as well as an example sentence from where the student discovers it. The word list never ends and students are advised to have a look at it every day. The word list aims at making the short-term memory into long-term memory and gradually realising vocabulary acquisition.
4. Summary
The paper names four major vocabulary learning strategies and conducts an empirical experiment， aiming at revealing whether those strategies contribute to vocabulary learning or not. Statistics contradicts the native believe that mechanical repetition should help vocabulary learning. Extensive reading （context strategy， belonging to cognitive strategy） and targeted review （meta-cognitive strategy） have positive effect on vocabulary learning. Cooperation （social strategy） barely relates to vocabulary learning. Students are advised to extend their reading and formulate targets in the process of review.
References
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[2] J. M. McCarthy， Vocabulary， Oxford： Oxford University Press， p. VIII， 1990.
[3] R. L. Oxford， Use of language learning strategies： A synthesis of studies with implications for teacher training， System， Vol. 17， pp. 235-247， 1989.
[4] J. M. O’Malley and A. U. Chamot， Learning Strategies in Second Language Acquisition， Cambridge： Cambridge University Press， 1990.
[5] F. I. M. Craik and R. S. Lockhart， Levels of processing： A framework for memory research， Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behaviour， Vol. 11， pp. 671-684， 1972.
[6] R. Ellis， Understanding Second Language Acquisition， Shanghai： Shanghai Language Education Press， 1999.
[7] W. Song， Research on English vocabulary learning strategies for first-year non-English majored college students， unpublished dissertation， Shandong University， 2007.
[8] C. Schouten-van Parreren， Vocabulary learning through reading： Which conditions should be met when presenting words in texts？ AILA Review， Vol. 6， pp. 75-85， 1989.
[9] S. Gui， Applied Linguistic， Changsha： Hunan Education Publishing， p. 192， 1988.