A Comparative Study of Vocabulary Learning Strategy Use between Students of Seyo Secondary School and Seyo Preparatory School: Grade 9 and Grade 11 in Focus

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.