The relationship between the use of vocabulary learning strategies and gender of Iranian EFL learners

Abstract

This research study aimed at examining the use of vocabulary learning strategies of Iranian male and female intermediate EFL learners and the relationship between gender and the use of these strategies at Shokouh Language Institue in Iran. 80 EFL learners who were at intermediate level participated in this study. This study used Kudo’s (1999) classification of vocabulary learning strategies including metacognitive and psycholinguistic strategies. Kudo’s (1999) likert-scale questionnaire has been used in this study. In order to analyze data and answer research questions, descriptive and inferential statistics via SPSS (21) used. The finding of the study revealed that the most frequently-used VLS by female group was “Use loan words” and by male group was “ Using a bilingual dictionary”. Both of these strategies were psycholinguistic strategy. The frequency mean for the psycholinguistic strategy use, metacognitive strategies as well as the overall frequency mean was slightly higher for the female learners. However there was no significant difference between Iranian male and female intermediate EFL learners in terms of the use of vocabulary learning strategies.

Keywords

• EFL Learners
• Gender
• Language Learning Strategies
• Vocabulary learning strategies