Abstract:
The main purpose of this comparative study is to investigate vocabulary learning
strategy (VLSs) use between different grade level students. Particularly, the focus is to
see if there is a significant difference between Grade 9 and Grade 11 students of Seyo
High School and Seyo Preparatory School in their vocabulary learning strategies use.
One hundred and twelve (112) respondents were proportionally taken (94:18) from the
students of grade 9 and grade 11 who were attending the schools in 2007 E.C. The
instruments employed were a five point likert scale questionnaire adapted from Schmitt
(1997) and classroom observations. Data obtained through questionnaire were analyzed
manually for frequencies and percentages, and SPSS version 16.0 was used for
generating mean and t-test values. The data obtained via classroom observation was
analyzed qualitatively and triangulated with the data obtained via questionnaire. The
frequencies and the percentages were used to describe the data obtained through a
questionnaire. The mean values and the t-test values were used to compare the VLSs use
of the two groups and ranked out the most, the medium and the least frequently used
strategies. The t-test values were used to see for the presence or absence of significant
differences in VLSs use between the students of the two grades. The finding indicated
that both grade 9 and grade 11 students of the study area used all the 28 items (VLSs
presented for them) with a slight difference of frequencies. Grade 9 students
predominantly used three sub-categories of VLSs: determination, social for discovering
the meaning of a word and memory strategies, whereas grade 11 students used only two
of them: determination and cognitive strategies. They both used the rest sub-categories
at the medium level of VLSs use. The finding also indicated that there is no statistically
significant difference between the two groups of students in their vocabulary learning
strategy use. Finally, it was recommended that teachers of English language should
identify their students VLSs use and train them on the areas they have problems.
