EFL STUDENTS’ VOCABULARY LEARNING STRATEGIES AND THE DIFFICULTIES FACED BY THEM IN VOCABULARY LEARNING
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The purpose of this study is to investigate whether teaching vocabulary to preparatory class EFL students in accordance with their vocabulary learning strategies would be effective. In line with this purpose, it was aimed to determine the vocabulary learning strategies that preparatory class students used in the discovery and consolidation process of target vocabulary. This study also aimed to find out the difficulties faced by students in discovering and consolidating foreign language vocabulary. The study was carried out using a mixed-method research design. Quantitative data collection instruments were the Vocabulary Learning Strategies Questionnaire and pre/post-tests. The quantitative data were analyzed by using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 23. The qualitative phase of the study included semi-structured interviews carried out with 14 students. The qualitative data were analyzed through descriptive analysis. The analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data demonstrated that students preferred determination strategies to social (discovery) strategies while discovering the meanings of new words. In the consolidation process, they used cognitive, metacognitive, memory, and social (consolidation) strategies respectively. Also, it was found that the participants faced certain difficulties in the vocabulary learning process. After the implementation process, this study revealed that teaching vocabulary to preparatory class EFL students in accordance with their vocabulary learning strategies improves students’ vocabulary knowledge compared to using conventional teaching methods.