Vocabulary learning beliefs and strategies of Afghan EFL undergraduate learners

Figures & data

Table 1. Participants’ demographics

Gender	Frequency	Percent
Male	100	83.3
Female	20	16.7
Age
19–20	16	13.3
21–22	46	38.3
23–24	38	31.7
25–26	5	4.2
>26	15	12.5
Year of experience learning English
0–3	14	11.7
4–6	47	39.2
7–8	35	29.2
9–10	18	15.0
>10	6	5.0

Table 2. Reliability statistics

Dimensions	Categories	Strategies	Number of items	Apha
Metacognitive	Beliefs about vocabulary	Words should be memorized	6	.821
	learning	Words should be learned through use	4	.813
	Metacognitive regulation	Selective attention	3	.627
		Self-initiation	4	.820
Guessing	Inferencing	Guessing strategies	7	.884
	Using dictionary	Dictionary strategies	7	.816
	Taking notes	Choosing which word to put	3	.851
Memory strategies	Rehearsal	Use of word lists	3	.807
		Oral repetition	3	.735
		Visual repetition	3	.638
	Encoding	Visual encoding	3	.833
		Auditory encoding	3	.850
		Use of word-structure	3	.732
		Contextual encoding	3	.874
Activation		Activation	4	.874

Table 3. Beliefs about vocabulary learning

Word should be memorized
No	Statements	Strongly Agree	Agree	Neutral	Disagree	Strongly Disagree
1	Once the English words of all my native language meanings have been remembered, English is learned.	37 (30.8%)	67 (55.8%)	7 (5.8%)	9 (7.5%)	0 (0%)
2	The best way to remember words is to memorize word lists or dictionaries.	22 (18.3%)	43 (35.8%)	19 (15.8%)	29 (24.2%)	7 (5.8%)
3	The purpose of learning a word is to remember it.	51 (42.5%)	54 (45.0%)	7 (5.8%)	6 (5.0%)	2 (1.7%)
4	A good memory is all you need to learn a foreign language well.	39 (32.5%)	61 (50.8%)	11 (9.2%)	9 (7.5%)	0 (0%)
5	Repetition is the best way to remember words.	77 (64.2%)	38 (31.7%)	3 (2.5%)	2 (1.7%)	0 (0%)
6	You can only learn a large vocabulary by memorizing a lot of words.	35 (29.2%)	62 (51.7%)	11 (9.2%)	12 (10.0)	0 (0%)
Word should be learned through use
No	Statements	Strongly Agree	Agree	Neutral	Disagree	Strongly Disagree
7	The meanings of a large amount of words can be picked up through reading.	40 (33.3%)	67 (55.8%)	11 (9.2%)	2 (1.7%)	0 (0%)
8	Learners should pay attention to expressions (e.g., pick up) and collocations (e.g., heavy rain; strong wind) that go with a word.	60 (50.0%)	48 (40.0%)	7 (5.8%)	5 (4.2%)	0 (0%)
9	Learners can learn vocabulary simply through reading a lot.	44 (36.7%)	52 (43.3%)	7 (5.8%)	8 (6.7%)	9 (7.5%)
10	The least a learner should know about a word is its spelling, pronunciation, meaning, and its basic usage.	68 (56.7%)	39 (32.5%)	0 (0%)	9 (7.5%)	4 (3.3%)

Table 4. Metacognitive strategies

No	Statements	Strongly Agree	Agree	Neutral	Disagree	Strongly Disagree
11	I know whether a new word is important in understanding a passage.	18 (15.0%)	80 (66.7%)	14 (11.7%)	7 (5.8%)	(0.8%)
12	I know which words are important for me to learn.	25 (20.8%)	66 (55.0%)	21 (17.5%)	8 (6.7%)	0 (0%)
13	When I meet a new word or phrase, I know clearly whether I need to remember it.	20 (16.7%)	41 (34.2%)	26 (21.7%)	24 (20.0%)	9 (7.5%)
14	Besides textbooks, I look for other readings that fall under my interest.	46 (38.3%)	64 (53.3%)	6 (5.0%)	3 (2.5%)	1 (0.8%)
15	I wouldn’t learn what my English teacher doesn’t tell me to learn. (Reversed value)	10 (8.3%)	16 (13.3%)	7 (5.8%)	63 (52.5%)	24 (20.0%)
16	I only focus on things that are directly related to examinations. (Reversed value)	6 (5.0%)	17 (14.2%)	11 (9.2%)	57 (47.5%)	29 (24.2%)
17	I wouldn’t care much about vocabulary items that my teacher does not explain in class. (Reversed value)	9 (7.5%)	16 (13.3%)	9 (7.5%)	52 (43.3%)	34 (28.3%)

Table 5. Guessing strategies

No	Statements	Strongly Agree	Agree	Neutral	Disagree	Strongly Disagree
18	I make use of the logical development in the context (e.g., cause and effect) when guessing the meaning of a word.	41 (34.2%)	67 (55.8%)	9 (7.5%)	3 (2.5%)	0 (0%)
19	I use common sense and knowledge of the world when guessing the meaning of a word.	50 (41.7%)	58 (48.3%)	7 (5.8%)	5 (4.2%)	0 (0%)
20	I check my guessed meaning in the paragraph or whole text to see if it fits in.	35 (29.2%)	64 (53.3%)	14 (11.7%)	7 (5.8%)	0 (0%)
21	When I don’t know a new word in reading, I use my background knowledge of the topic to guess the meaning of the new word.	38 (31.7%)	63 (52.5%)	6 (5.0%)	13 (10.8%)	0 (0%)
22	I look for explanations in the reading text that support my guess about the meaning of a word.	28 (23.3%)	78 (65.0%)	11 (9.2%)	1 (0.8%)	2 (1.7%)
23	I make use of the grammatical structure of a sentence when guessing the meaning of a new word.	23 (19.2%)	69 (57.5%)	13 (10.8%)	15 (12.5%)	0 (0%)
24	I make use of the part of speech of a new word when guessing its meaning.	50 (41.7%)	57 (47.5%)	9 (7.5%)	3 (2.5%)	1 (0.8%)

Table 6. Dictionary strategies

No	Statements	Strongly Agree	Agree	Neutral	Disagree	Strongly Disagree
25	When I see an unfamiliar word again and again, I look it up.	66 (55.0%)	48 (40.0%)	2 (1.7%)	4 (3.3%)	0 (0%)
26	When not knowing a word prevents me from understanding a whole sentence or even a whole paragraph, I look it up.	53 (44.2%)	43 (35.8%)	12 (10.0%)	8 (6.7%)	4 (3.3%)
27	I look up words that are important to the under-standing of the sentence or paragraph in which it appears.	60 (50.0%)	53 (44.2%)	4 (3.3%)	3 (2.5%)	0 (0%)
28	I pay attention to the examples when I look up a word in a dictionary.	64 (53.3%)	48 (40.0%)	4 (3.3%)	3 (2.5%)	1 (0.8%)
29	When I want to have some deeper knowledge about a word that I already know, I look it up.	53 (44.2%)	44 (36.7%)	4 (3.3%)	15 (12.5%)	4 (3.3%)
30	When I want to know more about the usage of a word that I know, I look it up.	57 (47.5%)	45 (37.5%)	12 (10.0%)	4 (3.3%)	2 (1.7%)
31	I check the dictionary when I want to find out the similarities and differences between the meanings of related words.	55 (45.8%)	54 (45.0%)	9 (7.5%)	1 (0.8%)	1 (0.8%)

Table 7. Notes-taking strategies

No	Statements	Strongly Agree	Agree	Neutral	Disagree	Strongly Disagree
32	I make a note when I think the meaning of the word I’m looking up is commonly used.	23 (19.2%)	35 (29.2%)	10 (8.3%)	46 (38.3%)	6 (5.0%)
33	I make a note when I think the word I’m looking up is related to my personal interest.	24 (20.0%)	36 (30.0%)	13 (10.8%)	32 (26.7%)	15 (12.5%)
34	I make a note when I see a useful expression or phrase.	35 (29.2%)	35 (29.2%)	7 (5.85%)	29 (24.2%)	14 (11.7%)
35	I write down the English explanations of the word I look up.	13 (10.8%)	45 (37.5%)	11 (9.2%)	32 (36.7%)	19 (15.8%)
36	I write down both the meaning in my native language and the English explanation of the word I look up.	19 (15.8%)	36 (30.0%)	13 (10,8%)	36 (30.0%)	16 (13.3%)
37	I note down examples showing the usages of the word I look up.	15 (12.5%)	32 (26.7%)	14 (11.7%)	42 (35.0%)	17 (14.2%)

Table 8. Memory strategies

(A) Rehearsal
No	Statements	Strongly Agree	Agree	Neutral	Disagree	Strongly Disagree
38	I go through my vocabulary list several times until I remember all the words on the list.	39 (32.5%)	61 (50.8%)	10 (8.3%)	9 (7.5%)	1 (0.8%)
39	I make vocabulary cards and take them with me wherever I go.	18 (15.0%)	32 (26.7%)	11 (9.2%)	42 (35.0%)	17 (14.2%)
40	I make regular reviews of new words I have memorized.	32 (26.7%)	77 (64.2%)	8 (6.7%)	3 (2.5%)	0 (0%)
41	When I try to remember a word, I say it aloud to myself.	38 (31.7%)	68 (56.7%)	7 (5.8%)	6 (5.0%)	1 (0.8%)
42	When I try to remember a word, I repeat its pronunciation in my mind.	60 (50.0%)	50 (41.7%)	3 (2.5%)	6 (5.0%)	1 (0.8%)
43	Repeating the sound of a new word to myself would be enough for me to remember the word.	14 (11.7%)	46 (38.3%)	9 (7.5%)	42 (35.0%)	9 (7.5%)
44	When I try to remember a word, I write it again and again.	39 (32.5%)	69 (57.5%)	7 (5.8%)	4 (3.3%)	1 (0.8%)
45	I memorize the spelling of a word letter by letter.	42 (35.0%)	41 (34.2%)	15 (12.5%)	16 (13.3%)	5 (4.2%)
46	I write both the new words and their translation in my native language again and again in order to remember them.	20 (16.7%)	30 (25.0%)	8 (6.7%)	40 (33.3%)	21 (17.5%)
(B) Encoding
No	Statements	Strongly Agree	Agree	Neutral	Disagree	Strongly Disagree
47	I act out some words in order to remember them better (e.g., jump).	17 (14.2%)	27 (22.5%)	13 (10.8%)	40 (33.3%)	23 (19.2%)
48	I create a picture in my mind to help me remember a new word.	28 (23.3%)	73 (60.8%)	8 (6.7%)	10 (8.3%)	1 (0.8%)
49	To help me remember a word, I try to “see” the spelling of the word in my mind.	28 (23.3%)	72 (60.0%)	13 (10.8%)	6 (5.0%)	1 (0.8%)
50	I put words that sound similar together in order to remember them.	11 (9.2%)	38 (31.7%)	17 (14.2%)	41 (34.2%)	13 (10.8%)
51	When words are spelled similarly, I remember them together.	14 (11.7%)	39 (32.5%)	17 (14.2%)	37 (30.8%)	13 (10.8%)
52	When I try to remember a new word, I link it to a sound-alike word that I know.	16 (13.3%)	44 (36.7%)	16 (13.3%)	42 (35.0%)	2 (1.7%)
53	When I learn new words, I pay attention to prefixes, roots, and suffixes (e.g., inter-nation-al).	41 (34.2%)	67 (55.8%)	6 (5.0%)	6 (5.0%)	0 (0%)
54	I intentionally study how English words are formed in order to remember more words.	39 (32.5%)	60 (50.0%)	15 (12.5%)	6 (5.0%)	0 (0%)
55	I memorize the commonly used roots and prefixes.	40 (33.3%)	53 (44.2%)	17 (14.2%)	10 (8.3%)	0 (0%)
56	When I try to remember a word, I also try to remember the sentence in which the word is used.	27 (22.5%)	63 (52.5%)	9 (7.5%)	18 (15.0%)	3 (2.5%)
57	I put words in set expressions or sentences in order to remember them.	17 (14.2%)	69 (57.5%)	20 (16.7%)	12 (10.0%)	2 (1.7%)
58	I remember a new word together with the context where the new word appears.	16 (13.3%)	32 (26.7%)	22 (18.3%)	34 (28.3%)	16 (13.3%)

Table 9. Activation strategies

No	Statements	Strongly Agree	Agree	Neutral	Disagree	Strongly Disagree
59	I make up my own sentences using the words I just learned.	48 (40.0%)	68 (56.7%)	2 (1.7%)	2 (1.7%)	0 (0%)
60	I try to use the newly learned words as much as possible in speech and writing.	53 (44.2%)	62 (51.7%)	5 (4.2%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)
61	I try to use newly learned words in real situations.	54 (45.0%)	57 (47.5%)	8 (6.7%)	0 (0%)	1 (0.8%)
62	I try to use newly learned words in imaginary situations in my mind.	36 (30.0%)	61 (50.8%)	16 (13.3%)	5 (4.2%)	2 (1.7%)

Figure 1. Common strategies in percentages (%) used by afghan efl learners.