Definitions Vocabulary Learning Strategies

Social strategies are used in “interaction with other people to improve language learning”. Social strategies include discovering meaning by asking someone who knows, whether it is a teacher, senior or friend 1997:210. Later on, social strategies can be used in practicing the words with a group or in pairs in class or with native or non-native target language speakers outside class. The memory strategies are the most abundant strategies in the taxonomy, there are overall 28 strategies. Memory strategies or mnemonics “involve relating the word to be retained with some previously learned knowledge, using some form of imagery, or grouping” Schmitt, 1997:211. There are also other memory strategies that do not specifically involve imagery or grouping. Memory strategies also entail elaboration, manipulation and intergration of incoming knowledge that will help students to storage and retrieve information later 1997:211. Cognitive strategies are much alike mnemonics because they also help students work with incoming knowledge. However, cognitive strategies are shallower than mnemonics because they do not involve mental manipulation. Cognitive strategies include the most basic language learning strategy types as written and verbal repetition and other mechanical means Schmitt, 1997:215. Metacognitive strategies orchestrate the use of other strategies and help students regulate their learning 1997:216 Using metacognitive strategies aims to make learning more efficient. Metacognitive strategies help students in planning ahead for example when, how and what to study, in monitoring one‟s performance in the target language and in evaluating the learning outcomes of their learning. Lastly, a few of the strategies in Schmitt‟s taxonomy, and thus in the taxonomy used in the current study, overlap in some categories. 2 Gu Johnson’s Categories In their research on vocabulary learning strategies, Gu Johnson 1996 divide the strategies into four big parts namely metacognitive, cognative, memory and activation. The first type is metacognitive. It consists of selective attention and self-initiation. Selective attention means to identify essential words to be comprehended while self-initiation means to use a variety of means to make the meaning of words clear. The second is cognative which consists of guessing, using dictionaries and note-taking. The third is memory that consists of rehearsal word list and repetition and encoding association imagery, visual and auditory. The last is activation which means to use new words in new context. The list of Gu Johnson‟s vocabulary learning strategies is shown in Table 2.5 below. Table 2.5. Gu Johnson’s Categories of Vocabulary Learning Strategies Gu Johnson, 1996 Strategies Metacognitive Cognative Memory Activation Selective attention: identifying essential words for comprehension Self-initation: Using a variety of means to make the meaning of words clear Guessing: activating background knowledge, using linguistic items Use dictionaries Note taking Rehearsal: Word lists, repetition,etc Encoding association imagery, visual, auditory, etc Using new words in different context 3 Catalan’s Categories In her research on sex differences in L2 vocabulary learning strategies, Catalan 2003 identifies the most and the least used strategies. Therefore, she