Enhancing Vocabulary Acquisition Efficiency Through Metacognitive Strategies and Vocabulary Tasks: A Study of EFL Learners in a Taiwanese University of Technology
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.1601.10Keywords:
vocabulary acquisition, metacognitive strategies, vocabulary task activities, EFL learners, vocabulary retentionAbstract
Recently, universities of technology in Taiwan have shifted their emphasis from teaching everyday English to workplace English to improve graduates' employability. Such a transformation has presented significant challenges to college students from universities of technology with low learning proficiency. Particularly when acquiring workplace English vocabulary, including unfamiliar terminology, a large number of complex words, and diverse meanings, EFL learners in universities of technology frequently confront a range of obstacles. Therefore, learners need to implement effective learning strategies, such as metacognitive strategies, to enhance their vocabulary acquisition proficiency. In addition, educators can design appropriate vocabulary task activities to improve learners' vocabulary acquisition efficiency. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of learners' metacognitive strategies and suitable vocabulary tasks in enhancing their vocabulary acquisition efficiency. The results reveal that frequent utilization of metacognitive strategies improves vocabulary acquisition in comparison to low-frequency users. Furthermore, the degree of vocabulary task involvement also impacts vocabulary retention. These findings demonstrate that metacognitive strategies and vocabulary tasks can promote vocabulary acquisition and provide educators with an opportunity to improve English vocabulary learning efficiency for EFL learners in universities of technology.
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