The Relationship between Vocabulary Learning Strategies and Breadth of Vocabulary Knowledge

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between the vocabulary learning strategies and breadth of vocabulary knowledge. It is designed to find out whether there is a meaningful relationship between the breadth of vocabulary knowledge and vocabulary learning strategies in general or not. The study also seeks to determine which of these aspects of vocabulary knowledge as a better predictor of successful learning strategies. The study adopts the descriptive approach and the data were gathered through a Vocabulary Learning Strategies Questionnaire (VLSQ) based on the taxonomy by (Schmitt, 1997).The subjects of the study included 190 Sudanese English language majors. The findings revealed that there was a high positive relationship between the Vocabulary Learning Strategies and Breadth of Vocabulary Knowledge. In addition to that, there was a high degree of agreement of (49 %) compared to (28.9%) disagreement with the use of determination strategies in learning new words. The study has also established that (44%) of the respondents agreed with the importance of social discovery strategies. This is particularly true of the strategy of the group work, which was considered as beneficial in acquiring new words, moreover, the study has shown that(%45) of the participants of the opinion that social strategies in general and consolidation strategies in particular are indispensable in learning new words through the vehicle of English culture and literature. The study recommends that teachers should empower their learners so as to take some responsibility for their own success by providing them with a sense of what a strategy is, and how they can develop their own strategies to serve their vocabulary learning ends. Moreover, teachers of English should introduce Vocabulary Learning Strategies in a wide range to their students when teaching or training them within both a classroom-related setting and self-directed vocabulary learning.