Learning vocabulary is considered basic in second language learning and yet Korean middle school students tend to use a limited range of vocabulary learning strategies. Although vocabulary learning is an important goal in literacy and plays a central role in reading ability, there have been few studies conducted in Korean context.
The purpose of this study was to investigate what kinds of vocabulary learning strategies EFL learners used, what strategies they preferred, and whether their vocabulary learning strategies affected their vocabulary proficiency. In order to accomplish the purpose, a questionnaire of vocabulary learning strategies based on Schmitt(1997) was administered to 111 EFL student learners in middle school in "D" city. Also their English vocabulary proficiency was measured. All participants were taught English for 8 weeks and given mid-term exam. Data sources consisted of test of students'' proficiency of vocabulary and a questionnaire about their vocabulary learning strategies when reading English texts.
In the second chapter, I have reviewed the literature on vocabulary learning strategies. It provided the definition and the classification of vocabulary learning strategies presented by Schmitt(1997). In the fourth chapter, I analyzed the statistic results using SPSS program to find the relationship between vocabulary learning strategies and vocabulary proficiency.
The summary of results drawn from this study was that advanced-level learners used more strategies in almost all categorized strategies. After using the statistical analysis, SPSS, the p-value came out to be less than .01. The proficiency difference was statistically significant. Students should be trained on these dimensions of vocabulary learning strategies for improving their English vocabulary proficiency.
Second, the participating students favored simple memorization strategies regardless of the proficiency levels though the higher group used more English vocabulary learning strategies than the lower group. Among the six English vocabulary learning strategies, the meaning-determination strategies were most frequently used while the social strategies was least used.
Third, there was no positive correlation between students'' use of vocabulary learning strategies and categorized vocabulary knowledge presented by Nation(1990). After using the statistical analysis, SPSS, the correlation coefficient between students'' use of vocabulary learning strategies and categorized vocabulary knowledge was lower than 0.4, indicating that the relationship is relatively weak. In other words, there was no direct correlation to vocabulary learning strategies and categorized vocabulary knowledge. This analysis showed students favored the meaning-determination strategies regardless of the categorized vocabulary knowledge.