An Investigation of EFL Students’ Vocabulary Learning Strategies and Motivation Orientations—A Case Study
An Investigation of EFL Students’ Vocabulary Learning Strategies and Motivation Orientations—A Case Study
Keywords: EFL, instrumental motivation, integrative motivation, learning strategies
Hsiu Ju Lin
Chaoyang University of Technology, Taiwan
Shu-Yun Yang
Geeyoung English Center, Taiwan
Bio
Hsiu Ju Lin is an associate professor in the Department of Applied English at Chaoyang University of Technology, Wufeng, Taiwan. Her specialty is second language speaking and motivation.
Shu-Yun Yang is an English instructor at Geeyoung English Center.
The purpose of this study was to investigate EFL students’ various strategies for English vocabulary learning and their learning motivation orientations during different educational stages. This study conducted a qualitative analysis of four college-level (or above) EFL learners who are relatively high achievers. Data for this case study were collected through in-depth interviews. Results obtained indicated that: (1) instrumental motivation exerts primary effects on the participants during their junior or high school period, for expanding vocabulary in pursuit of good performance on English tests, for entering an ideal school, or for parents’/teachers’ compliments; (2) in addition to some vocabulary strategy use, the participants’ instrumental motivation and integrative motivation subtly interweaved at a later stage of their life, alternately activating their English learning; and (3) cognitive, memory and compensatory strategies were more facilitative for the participants’ vocabulary learning. This study also provides practical implications for English teaching in an EFL context.
Category: Main Editions
