An Investigation Of Vocabulary Learning Strategies Used By Efl Students: The Case Of 10th Grade High And Low Achievers At Ambo Secondary School

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate vocabulary-learning strategies used by High and Low achiever students at Ambo Secondary School. The research questions asked were: what the similarities and differences between high and low achievers in using vocabulary learning strategies?, what the most and the least used sub-categories of vocabulary learning strategy for the high achiever?, and was there the relation between use of vocabulary learning strategies and language learning achievement? A questionnaire was administered to 130 students of whom 65 were high achievers and 65 were low achievers, from Ambo Secondary School. A questionnaire was designed using Schmitt (1997) model modification. Descriptive data analysis was used to analysis data. Both qualitative and quantitative data analysis were used to describe the information taken from the questionnaire. This thesis implies that there was a relationship between vocabulary learning strategy use and language learning achievement. The analysis of data showed that the most frequently used strategy of vocabulary learning strategy by high achievers was ‘the strategy of taking vocabulary note in class’ the mean of ‘4.1538’ and the least strategy used by high achievers was the strategy ‘I use physical action when I learn a word (mean=2.3538). On the low achievers side, the most frequently used strategy were ‘I write new English words several times (Mean=3.6462), I take vocabulary note in class (Mean=3.5846). In opposite to these strategies, the least vocabulary learning strategies used by low achievers were ‘I make my sound a loud while study words (Mean=2.2923).