Vocabulary Learning Strategy Use by Iranian EFL Learners across Proficiency Levels

Abstract

Given the importance of vocabulary as well as vocabulary learning strategies in the context of ELT, the present study sought to investigate the vocabulary learning strategies employed by Iranian intermediate and advanced learners. Several English language institutes in Yazd cooperated with the researchers by providing them with a list of intermediate to advanced learners. After arrangement with institutes’ administrators and getting students’ consent to participate in the study, students took a TOEFL and based on the obtained scores, 55 learners were chosen as intermediate and 50 as advanced students. Participants with TOEFL score range of 481-506 were classified as intermediate and those with TOEFL range of 507-600 were classified as advanced students (Phillips, 1991). Next, students completed VOLSI by choosing one of the options (1) never, (2) seldom, (3) sometimes, (4) often, and (5) always. The results of statistical analyses revealed that both advanced and intermediate language learners used mental linkages, memory strategies and auditory strategies as the most frequent vocabulary learning strategies respectively. On the other hand, both advanced and intermediate language learners used strategies for self-motivation, strategies involving authentic language, and strategies involving creative activities as the least frequent. It was also found that advanced and intermediate language learners were significantly different from each other in all categories of vocabulary learning strategies except strategies involving creative activities. Moreover, Iranian language learners with different levels of language proficiency used vocabulary learning strategies with varying frequency of use.