Abstract:
The present study explored the vocabulary learning strategies used by Iranian EFL learners
and Marine Engineering (ME) students by using the categorization of vocabulary learning
strategies proposed by Schmitt (1997). A vocabulary learning strategies questionnaire was
administered to 30 EFL learners and 43 ME students. Then, the strategies used by each
group were determined and the two groups were compared with each other. It was found
that both groups used determination strategies more frequently than social strategies for
discovering a new word’s meaning. The most frequently used discovery strategy by both
groups was found to be “bilingual dictionary”. The second and third most frequently used
strategy for discovery by EFL learners and ME students was found to be “monolingual
dictionary” and “guess from textual context”, respectively. It was also revealed that EFL
learners used memory strategies more frequently than other strategies for consolidating the
meaning of new words and ME students used cognitive strategies the most frequently. Both
groups were found to use “verbal repetition” more frequently than all other consolidation
strategies. The second most frequently used strategy by EFL learners was “use Englishlanguage
media” whilst for ME students they were “written repetition” and “word lists”.
The comparison of the strategy use by the participants in the two groups showed no
significant difference.
Machine summary:
<H1>A Comparative Study of Vocabulary Learning Strategies Used by Marine Engineering</H1> Students and Iranian EFL Learners <H3>Davood Mashhadi Heidar*</H3> Department of English, Tonekabon Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tonekabon, Iran davoodm_tarbiatmodares@yahoo.
The second most frequently used strategy by EFL learners was &quot;use English- language media&quot; whilst for ME students they were &quot;written repetition&quot; and &quot;word lists&quot;.
The present study is intended to investigate and compare the vocabulary learning strategies used by Marine engineering students and EFL learners.
As this field evolved, new categorizations were proposed such as what O'Malley &amp; Chamot (1990) introduced and divided language learning strategies into three major types of metacognitive, cognitive and social/affective.
In a study in Iran on the relationship between EFL learners' beliefs about language learning, their language learning strategy use and their language proficiency using SILL, Abedini, Rahimi, and Zare-ee (2011) reported cognitive strategies as the most preferred strategies and metacognitive strategies as the least preferred one.
Results</H2> As is evident in Figure 1, both EFL learners and Marine Engineering (ME) students use determination strategies more frequently than social strategies for the discovery of a new word’s meaning.
This is reflected in the finding that &quot;bilingual dictionary&quot; is the most frequently used strategy by both EFL learners and ME students.
The second most frequently used consolidation strategy by EFL learners was found to be &quot;use English-language media&quot; (78.
In four other studies in Iran, memory, cognitive and metacognitive strategies were reported to be the most frequently used strategies by EFL learners (Ahour &amp; Abdi, 2015; Salahshour et al.