Effects of Vocabulary Learning Strategies:A Qualitative Study of an Elementary School Student

張貼日期：Nov 02, 2010 1:16:46 PM

Effects of Vocabulary Learning Strategies:

A Qualitative Study of an Elementary School Student

Pin-Yu Lin 林品妤

Advisor: Dr. Ling-Miao Yeh 葉玲妙  老師

Dr. Hsian-li Chou  周先俐  老師

Abstract

This study explores the effects of different vocabulary learning strategies applied to teach an elementary school student. Five strategies selected for this study are Visual Imagery, Grapheme-Phoneme Mappings, Word Root, Keyword Method, and Multi-sensory Approach. The subject, a first grader at one Taipei Municipal Elementary School, had not learned any English until the experiment was conducted during remedial tutoring sessions after school. In order to substantially interpret the teaching effects of the five vocabulary learning strategies, a qualitative approach was adopted drawing on observation, interview, and diary study. After analyzing the diary entries, the findings suggest that the teaching effects of vocabulary strategies are more related to the nature of vocabulary words selected and the student’s learning style than to the use of a particular strategy. 

Key words: diary study, visual imagery, phonetics, word root, keyword method, multi-sensory approach, teaching EFL vocabulary, vocabulary strategy, elementary English class, remedial class