International Chinese students' strategic vocabulary learning : agency and context

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Abstract

During the past thirty years, a large body of second language research has targeted
vocabulary learning strategies (VLSs) from a cognitive perspective and most of this
research tends to treat them as de-contextualised phenomena. In order to develop and
broaden the scope of the current VLS research, I explore strategic vocabulary learning
from both cognitive and sociocultural approaches and focus on its dynamic, complex
and contextually situated nature. The present study, based on a multiple-case study
design, investigates the processes of strategic vocabulary learning of six Chinese
students who were from a pre-university course in three British universities, using
three data collection methods: classroom observations, interviews and VOCABlog
(including photovoice and diaries). The analysis of these six student cases shows that
they managed their strategic vocabulary learning in relation to their particular
settings, milieus and the British culture; they tended to select and deploy a number of
strategies rather than individual strategies to improve their learning, and various types
of strategy combinations were found; they appeared to operate their strategic
vocabulary learning as a dynamic system and this was particularly supported by the
findings about their varying degrees of consciousness, the inconsistencies between
their strategic approach and their strategy use and the changes in their strategy use.
Theoretical contributions for the VLS research and some practical recommendations
for vocabulary learning are also provided.

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