6. Conclusion
6.3 Limitations of the Present Study and Suggestions for Further Research
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enhance male students’ vocabulary learning outcome. However, though teachers should take male students’ need for application of visual aids into consideration when designing
strategies-based instruction, Pachler et al. (2009) remind teachers should employ the instruction strategy with caution only when two circumstances are met: applying a suitable amount of visual aids and maintaining a class in a good order.
Thirdly, teachers should guide students in using VLS effectively based on both
vocabulary level differences and gender differences. Provided that the choices of VLS might differ by levels and by genders, students in different levels might also show different types of gender differences from those by the whole students examined together. For instance, male students as a whole generally had a lower frequency use of strategies than female students; nevertheless, male students in H-S listened to English broadcast more often than female students. In other words, gender differences may also differ when taking vocabulary level into consideration. Therefore, when employing strategies-based instruction into
classroom, teacher should bear in mind that it could be important for teachers to be aware of students’ preferences of VLS use by levels and genders.
6.3 Limitations of the Present Study and Suggestions for Further Research
This section displays limitations of the current study, followed by suggestions for further research.
Though the present study has found differences on VLS use by junior high school students in terms of vocabulary level and gender, there are still some limitations in the
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research. First of all, the results may not be over-generalized into all teaching circumstances in Taipei City because the research was only a case study with participants chosen from a single school. To be more representative, further research should include more participants from various schools in Taipei City.
Secondly, the numbers of students in three vocabulary levels or in both genders are not exactly the same, probably causing slight differences on the results. To collect a truer result, further investigators had better take the number in each group, either vocabulary levels or genders, into consideration.
Thirdly, the data in this study was collected only through a questionnaire, VLSQ.
Although it is convenient to gather a great deal of statistical information through
questionnaires, the 5-scale rating might not truly show the reality. Due the disadvantage of questionnaires, Chamot (2004) also suggests interviews or diaries should also be included, serving as another tools to elicit students’ strategy use. Therefore, for the following
investigators or teachers, more research instruments on gathering data of strategy use should be included as well.
Lastly, the present study investigates the use of VLS by taking only two variables, vocabulary levels and gender, into consideration. What might influence strategy use, according to Oxford (1990), are age, motivation, culture, learning styles, and so on.
Therefore, to research on gender differences on the use of VLS, further studies should examine on how the other variables relate to gender on the choice of strategy use.
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Schmitt’s Taxonomy of Vocabulary Learning Strategies (1997, p. 207-208) Strategy Categories Individual Strategies
Strategies for the discovery of a new word’s meaning Determination strategies Analyze part of speech
Analyze affixes and roots Check for L1 cognate
Analyze any available pictures or gestures Guess from textual context
Bilingual dictionary
Monolingual dictionary
Word lists
Flash cards
Social Strategies Ask teacher for L1 translation
Ask teacher for paraphrase or synonym of the new word Ask teacher for a sentence including the new word Ask classmates for meaning
Discover new meaning through group work activity
Strategies for consolidating a word once it has been encountered Study and practice meaning in a group
Teacher checks students’ flash cards or word lists for accuracy Interact with native-speakers
Memory Strategies Study word with a pictorial representation of its meaning Image word’s meaning
Connect word to a personal experience Associate the word with its coordinates
Connect the word to its synonyms and antonyms Use semantic maps
Use ‘scales’ for gradable adjectives Peg Method
Loci Method
Group words together to study them Group words together spatially on a page Use new word in sentences
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Schmitt’s Taxonomy of Vocabulary Learning Strategies (1997, p. 207-208) (Continued) Strategy Categories Individual Strategies
Memory Strategies Group words together within a storyline Study the spelling of a word
Study the sound of a word
Say new word aloud when studying Image word form
Underline initial letter of the word Configuration
Use Keyword Method
Affixes and roots (remembering) Part of speech (remembering) Paraphrase the word’s meaning Use cognates in study
Learn the words of an idiom together Use physical action when learning a word Use semantic feature grids
Cognitive Strategies Verbal repetition Written repetition Word lists
Flash cards
Take notes in class
Use the vocabulary section in your textbook Listen to tape of word lists
Put English labels on physical objects Keep a vocabulary notebook
Meta-cognitive Strategies Use English-language media (songs, movies, newscast, etc.) Testing oneself with word tests
Use spaced word practice Skip or pass new word
Continue to study word over time
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APPENDIX B
Vocabulary Learning Strategy Questionnaire 國中生英語字彙學習策略問卷
各位同學，你(妳)好：
這是一份單字策略使用的問卷，其目的在調查台北市國中生，經常使用哪些策略來學習 英語單字，以作為日後教師在教學上的參考。
你(妳)的作答將對本研究有相當大的意義及幫助。此外，本份問卷裡所有的資訊、數據及 調查結果，將僅供學術研究使用，絕對會受保密且不公開，所以請你(妳)放心地填寫。
為了使本研究順利發展，並得到的客觀結果，請你(妳)仔細閱讀問卷內容，並誠實地作 答。請根據你(妳)平常學習單字的實際方式，選出最符合自己學習狀況的選項。本份問卷並非 考試，無標準答案，請你(妳)勿考慮理想答案或以他人期待的結果作答。
非常感謝你(妳)願意抽空填寫問卷，謝謝你(妳)的協助。
指導教授：許炳煌博士 研究生： 張鐵鋼
謹誌 政治大學英語教學碩士班
一、個人基本資料 (僅作研究參考) 1. 性別：□ 男生 □ 女生
2. 年齡：_________歲
3. 是否曾經在英語系國家居住或就讀？□ 是；約_____年 □ 否
4. 大約學英語學了多久？ □ 2 年以下(國中才學) □ 4 年以下(小五開始學)
□ 6 年以下(小三開始學) □ 8 年以下(小一開始學) □ 超過 8 年(約______年) 5. 現在平均一星期花多少時間學習(練習)英文單字？(上課時間除外)
□ 1 小時以下 □ 3 小時以下 □ 5 小時以下 □ 7 小時以下
□ 7 小時以上 (約______小時)
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例如：decorate(裝飾)是動詞；decoration(裝飾)則為名詞。 5 4 3 2 1
2.
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例如：學prince(王子) 和 princess(公主)時，就編出 The prince lived happily with the princess.的圓滿情節。
5 4 3 2 1
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English Vocabulary Proficiency Test 英語單字能力測驗
(A) information (B) temperature (C) advertisement (D) environment 14. ( ) John doesn’t like his job and __________ a lot about it.
(A) indicates (B) develops (C) includes (D) complains
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34. ____________ Are you free this weekend? How about going to the movies tog ?
35. ____________ I feel t . Would you please bring me some water?
36. ____________ Many teenagers like to do shopping on the In .
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List of Strategies Found by the Participants
Male Female
Ask teacher for a sentence including the new
word 1 0.46 0 0.00
Ask classmates for meaning 5 2.28 2 0.96
Discover new meaning through group work
activity 1 0.46 1 0.48
Study word with a pictorial presentation of its
meaning 4 1.83 4 1.92
Image words meaning 11 5.02 3 1.44
Connect word to a personal experience 5 2.28 2 0.96 Associate the word with its coordinates 5 2.28 6 2.88 Connect the word to its synonym and
antonyms 0 0.00 3 1.44
Use scales for gradable adjectives 1 0.46 1 0.48 Group words together to study them 2 0.91 3 1.44 Group words together spatially on a page 1 0.46 0 0.00
Use new word in sentences 1 0.46 0 0.00