Vocabulary Learning Strategies Essay

ain new information” (p. 1). This definition can be seen in Schmitt’s defining vocabulary learning strategies, too. Schmitt (1997) stated that learning is “the process by which information is obtained, stored, retrieved and used... ;therefore vocabulary learning strategies could be any which affect this broadly defined process” (p. 203). This definition brings this question to the mind that whether vocabulary learning is incidental or deliberate, a factor which researchers have discussed in the literature a lot. Nation (2001) considers vocabulary learning as a deliberate process which possesses intentional character. He established his description on the properties and qualities of a strategy which fulfills teacher’s aims. There have been several studies conducted in order to help learners improve their vocabulary learning process. In support of the idea that learners need to be assisted as to learn how to acquire vocabulary by themselves, Sokmen (1997, p. 225) argued that it is “not possible for students to learn all the vocabulary they need

Consequently, the strategies develop “learner autonomy, independence, and self-direction” (Oxford & Nyikos, 1989, p. 291). When the students are equipped with different kinds of VLSs, they can decide how exactly they would like to come up with unknown words. Having a good knowledge of the existing strategies and the ability to make use of them in suitable situations might considerably make the learning process of new vocabulary simpler for students. For instance, when a given student himself/herself selects which words to study, they can remember the words better than when someone else chooses the words for them (Ranalli, 2003; cited in Gani Hamzah et al.,