The Effect of Vocabulary Learning Strategy Training on Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary Knowledge and Vocabulary Strategy Use: the Case of Addis Ababa University
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Date
2024-07
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
It is impossible to teach students all the words which are essential for their study. Hence, it is vital to inspect whether vocabulary strategy training helps them to study vocabulary or not. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of vocabulary learning strategy training on university students’ reading comprehension, vocabulary breadth knowledge, vocabulary depth knowledge and vocabulary learning strategies use. Quasi-experimental research design was employed. The study focused on the treatment group looking at their performance before and after intervention. To see the effect of the training in relation to the instruction given in communicative English, a group was included in the study as additional source of information to assess the effectiveness of vocabulary strategy training. The vocabulary learning strategy training was offered to treatment group students for 16 hours. Independent Sample T-test was computed on SPSS to examine if there was a statistically significant difference between the treatment and conventional groups. Paired Sample T-test was also run on the SPSS to see if there was statistically significance difference between the pre and post mean scores of the students in the treatment and conventional group. Moreover, Levene’s test, Kolmogrov-Smirnov test and Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test were computed to assess equivalency and normality of the data. The t-test analysis showed the treatment group students scored better in the post test. The students who followed the normal instruction performed less than the treatment group. A comparison of the students who followed the conventional instruction showed in the post-test in vocabulary breadth knowledge test (p-value, .001; moderate effect size, Cohen’s d: .76). In addition, the students assigned to the treatment group scored higher than the conventional group in the post test in vocabulary depth knowledge test (p-value, .00; moderate effect size, Cohen’s d: 0.93). The study found that the experimental group participants improved their vocabulary usage significantly better than the group that followed the conventional instruction in the five among six major categories of vocabulary learning strategies (less than the p-value of 0.05). The treatment group students enhanced their vocabulary knowledge and strategy use because they benefited from the vocabulary strategy training they received for 16 hours. The training helped
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them in developing their knowledge in several vocabulary learning strategies and motivation. Consequently, they effectively studied the use, form and meaning of several words. However, it was found no significant difference in reading comprehension skills between learners assigned to the treatment group and group that followed the conventional instruction (t = 1.14, df = 38 for the conventional group and 36.96 for the experimental group, p > 0.05). This could be attributed to lack of training in reading strategies in the conventional instruction. Based on the findings of the study, it is recommended that English language course book writers, instructors should consider the study of varied vocabulary learning strategies.