INTEGRATING VOCABULARY LEARNING STRATEGY INSTRUCTION INTO EFL CLASSROOMS

In the current study, explicit vocabulary learning strategy instruction was integrated into an EFL curriculum to investigate its effects on learners' vocabulary acquisition. A total of 180 EFL learners enrolled in the freshmen English program at a university in Taiwan participated in the study. The participants were guided to explore and practice an array of vocabulary learning strategies over a full semester. Participants' use of these different vocabulary learning strategies and their perceived usefulness of the strategies before and after strategy training were then compared. Student attitudes and opinions toward vocabulary learning strategy use and strategy training were compiled as well. The results suggest that vocabulary learning strategy training can bring about positive effects in students learning, as the majority of the participants reported using a greater number of strategies, using strategies more frequently, and found that such use of strategies was more useful. Differences in changes in vocabulary study habits after strategy training were found among those participants who had different levels of vocabulary proficiency. The most striking result to emerge from the data is that strategy training resulted in a radical increase in the frequency of low-level students' strategy use.