Learning Vocabulary Strategically in a Study Abroad Context

300 Pages·2018·3.71 MB·English

by  Isobel Kai-Hui Wang (auth.)

learning
vocabulary
strategically
in a study
abroad
context
Isobel Kai-Hui Wang
Learning Vocabulary Strategically in a Study
Abroad Context
Isobel Kai-Hui Wang
Learning Vocabulary
Strategically in a
Study Abroad
Context
Isobel Kai-Hui Wang
Nankai University
Tianjin, China
ISBN 978-3-319-65962-6 ISBN 978-3-319-65963-3 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-65963-3
Library of Congress Control Number: 2017951771
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2018
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Contents
1 Introduction 1
2 Building Vocabulary Through Interaction 17
3 Expanding Study-Abroad Opportunities for Vocabulary
Learning 67
4 Developing Vocabulary Strategies During Study Abroad 117
5 Strategic Vocabulary Learning as a Complex Dynamic
System 169
6 Learning Vocabulary Strategically in a Study-Abroad
Context 231
References 269
Index 287
v
List of Figures
Photo 2.1 Using an electronic notebook to remember words 28
Photo 2.2 Sample of vocabulary notebook entries 28
Fig. 2.1 Xia’s strategy cycle 35
Fig. 2.2 Wu’s cluster of dictionary look-up strategies 39
Fig. 2.3 Wu’s cluster of memory strategies 45
Photo 2.3 Puzzle game 46
Fig. 2.4 Xia’s strategy combination 49
Fig. 2.5 Xia’s recycling of vocabulary learning strategies 52
Fig. 3.1 Ke’s strategies employed to select vocabulary 80
Fig. 3.2 Bo’s strategy sequence 91
Fig. 3.3 Ke’s strategy combination 97
Fig. 3.4 Bo’s recycling of strategy combination 99
Fig. 3.5 Bo’s strategy circle 101
Fig. 3.6 Ke’s strategy sequence 103
Photo 4.1 Format of a vocabulary notebook 123
Photo 4.2 Ji’s vocabulary entry ‘brief’ 124
Photo 4.3 Qa’s vocabulary entry ‘brief’ 126
Photo 4.4 Ten words for Week 26 (Ji, photo, VOCABlog) 132
Photo 4.5 Vocabulary entry ‘tender’ 133
Photo 4.6 Content of vocabulary notebook: ‘contrast’, ‘contact’
and ‘contract’ 135
Photo 4.7 Content of vocabulary notebook: ‘enhance’ and ‘improve’ 135
Fig. 4.1 Qa’s strategy combination 136
vii
viii List of Figures
Fig. 4.2 Qa’ strategy pair 137
Fig. 4.3 Ji’s strategy combination 147
Fig. 4.4 Qa’s strategy sequence 155
Fig. 5.1 Three levels of context 179
Fig. 5.2 Circular use of metacognitive strategies 196
Fig. 5.3 A temporal, dynamic, flexible model of strategic learning 199
Fig. 5.4 A multiple-case study design 205
List of Tables
Table 2.1 Wu’s and Xia’s strategic attempts 63
Table 3.1 Bo’s and Ke’s personal dictionary 80
Table 3.2 Bo’s and Ke’s strategic attempts 112
Table 4.1 Ji’s and Qa’s strategic attempts 165
Table 5.1 Selected studies of the effectiveness of ‘deep’
processing strategies 171
ix
1
Introduction
1.1 Study Abroad and Second Language
Vocabulary Learning
The experiences of international students studying abroad are receiving
considerable attention from teachers, parents, researchers, policy makers
and programme designers as a result of the increasing internationalisation
of higher education. According to UNESCO statistics (2014), the num-
ber of international students in tertiary education increased significantly
from 2 million in 2000 to 4 million in 2012. In particular, Chinese stu-
dents have become the largest proportion of international students in
many Western countries, such as the USA, the UK and Australia. In the
case of the UK, the number of Chinese students is continuing to grow,
with a 44% increase predicted over the next decade (British Council
2013).
Chinese students choose to study abroad for a variety of reasons, from
academic to cultural to personal. In China, students mainly learn English
in the formal language classroom and English is not used as a communi-
cation tool in everyday life. Compared with the learning context in their
home country, the context of everyday life in an English- speaking coun-
try provides international students with a potentially rich environment to
© The Author(s) 2018 1
I.K.-H Wang, Learning Vocabulary Strategically in a Study Abroad Context,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-65963-3_1
2 1 Introduction
acquire the target language and engage with cultural practices. Therefore,
one of the primary reasons for studying in an English-speaking country
is the desire to gain access to the target language community and improve
their English language proficiency (Wu 2014; Zhu 2016).
The transition from a non-English to an entirely English learning envi-
ronment is not easy, however. The language barrier is perceived as one of
the biggest obstacles to international Chinese students’ academic and
sociocultural adjustment (Spencer-Oatey and Xiong 2006; Gu and Maley
2008). Weak language skills have been seen to give rise to academic and
social problems among Chinese students (Turner 2006; Gu 2009).
Studies of the experience of international Chinese students have reported
significant difficulties in communicating orally and in writing academi-
cally (Holmes 2004; Zhang and Mi 2010). Vocabulary knowledge is
viewed as the basis of second language learning and use. There is also
considerable research evidence supporting the crucial role that vocabu-
lary plays in both the receptive (reading and listening) and productive
(speaking and writing) skills in association with effective communication
(Laufer and Nation 1995; Nyikos and Fan 2007; Schmitt 2010; Koizumi
and In’nami 2013). Hence, a key way of overcoming these difficulties is
for international students to expand their vocabulary and use words
appropriately in order to respond to linguistically demanding academic
and social tasks (Daller and Xue 2009; Hu 2010).
There is a growing literature about the impact of study-abroad set-
tings on second language acquisition (e.g. Freed 1995; DuFon 2006;
Arnold and Fonseca-Mora 2015; Cadd 2015; Taguchi 2015). In par-
ticular, empirical evidence suggests that the study-abroad context is
more beneficial to L2 learners’ oral fluency, vocabulary development as
well as pragmatic competence than a domestic formal classroom set-
ting (DeKeyser 1991; Lafford 2004; Segalowitz and Freed 2004;
Barron 2006; Fitzpatrick 2012; Briggs 2015). However, being in an
English-speaking country cannot guarantee vocabulary expansion and
development.
As part of my research projects on international Chinese students’
vocabulary learning experiences, I have had the opportunity to talk to,
interview and get to know Chinese students across different British
universities at different degree levels since 2010. Many of them had