Theory and Practice in Language Studies ISSN 1799-2591 Volume 4, Number 6, June 2014 Contents REGULAR PAPERS Awareness of Vocabulary Learning Strategies among EFL Students in Khon Kaen University 1101 Rakchanok Saengpakdeejit The Impact of Using Explicit/Implicit Vocabulary Teaching Strategies on Improving Students’ 1109 Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension Al-M’tassim A. Al-Darayseh The Comparative Typology of French and Georgian Journalistic Discourses 1119 Mariam Pareshishvili Linguistic and Cultural Constraints in Vietnamese General Practitioners’ Act of Initiating Clinical 1125 Information-seeking Process in First Encounters with Outpatients Pham Thi Hong Nhung A Study of Women's Labor in Elizabeth Gaskell's Mary Barton 1132 Ali Albashir Mohammed Al-Haj Corpus-based Analysis of Semantic Transparency between High Frequent English and Chinese 1138 Compounds Wenyan Ma ESP Learners' Perception of ESP Program Problems at Iranian Universities (A Case Study of Islamic 1144 Azad University Najafabad Branch) Omid Tabatabaei and Azam Mokhtari A Parallel Corpus-based Study of Interpersonal Metaphors in Hong Lou Meng and Their Translations 1155 Zhangjun Lian Metaphorical Signification in Henry James’s The Wings of the Dove: A Deconstructive Reading 1162 Ali Taghizadeh The Intensity and Direction of CET Washback on Chinese College Students’ Test-taking Strategy Use 1171 Wei Xiao Critical Discourse Analysis of Barack Obama's 2012 Speeches: Views from Systemic Functional Linguistics and Rhetoric 1178 Bahram Kazemian and Somayyeh Hashemi Edward Bond’s Call for Justice in Summer 1188 Yanhua Xia The Perks of Politeness Translation Strategies 1193 Alireza Akbari An Analysis of Lin Shu’s Translation Activity from the Cultural Perspective 1201 Weihong Chen and Xiaojuan Cheng On the Effects of Doing CDA Term Projects on Iranian Graduate TEFL Students’ Critical Pedagogic 1207 Attitudes Shaban Barimani Varani and Seyed Ahmad Kasaian E-C Advertisement Translation on Communicative Translation and Semantic Translation Theory 1214 Xuedong Shi The Relationship between Gender and Student Engagement, Instructional Strategies, and Classroom 1219 Management of Iranian EFL Teachers Reza Nejati, Mohammad Taghi Hassani, and Hessam Aldin Sahrapour On Foreignization of Cultural Elements in the Translation of Classical Chinese Poetry 1227 Hongwei Ye Relationship between Learning Styles and Motivation for Higher Education in EFL Students 1232 Zahra Ghaedi and Bashir Jam The Social Interpretation of Language and Meaning 1238 Ming Liu Retrospective vs. Prospective Corrective Feedback Impacts on Developing EFL Learners’ Writing 1243 Ability and Learner Autonomy Gholam-Reza Abbasian and Poopak Bahmani Study on the Effects of Gloss Type on Chinese EFL Learners’ Incidental Vocabulary Acquisition 1251 Xiaoli Gan Scrutinizing the Appropriateness of the Intermediate ILI English Series in the EFL Context of Iran 1257 Amir Reza Asiyaban and Mostafa Zamanian Characteristics of Chinese Primary School Students’ EFL Learning Strategies 1266 Jieqiong Wu Language Teaching and Task Based Approach 1273 Sayed Mahdi Rozati The Originality of English Newspaper Titles 1279 Guineng Mei To What Extent the Meaning of Different Types of Ironies in King Lear is Translated and Transferred 1286 into Persian by Beh Azin (2012) and Peyman (2002) Mahnaz Havas Beygi and Biook Behnam The Application of Autonomous Learning to Fostering Cross-cultural Communication Competence 1291 Fangpeng Gai The Comparison of Language Learning Strategies and Reading Comprehension of Iranian EFL 1296 Students Taking Web-based and Face-to-face Instruction Behzad Ghonsooly and Zari Sadat Seyyedrezaie A Case Study of Interpretation Learning Strategies Employed by Successful Interpretation Learners 1303 Sainan Li ISSN 1799-2591 Theory and Practice in Language Studies, Vol. 4, No. 6, pp. 1101-1108, June 2014 © 2014 ACADEMY PUBLISHER Manufactured in Finland. doi:10.4304/tpls.4.6.1101-1108 Awareness of Vocabulary Learning Strategies among EFL Students in Khon Kaen University Rakchanok Saengpakdeejit The Faculty of Liberal Arts, Khon Kaen University, Nong Khai Campus, Nong Khai, Thailand Abstract—In recent decades, vocabulary learning strategies have received increasing attention among language educators as they are found to facilitate foreign language learning. Limited vocabulary knowledge can be a crucial problem which leads the learners to encounter difficulties in language learning. In this study, types of vocabulary learning strategies used by Thai EFL students were examined. In order to identify the aforementioned group of students in terms of vocabulary learning strategy use, a semi-structured interview was used as a method of data collection. The participants were 63 undergraduate students studying at Khon Kaen University (2 campuses). Results of the study reveal that the students display awareness of vocabulary learning strategies. Two main types of vocabulary learning strategies were found: 1) strategies for discovering the meaning of unknown words; and 2) strategies for retaining the newly learned words in long-term memory and recalling them at will. Index Terms—vocabulary learning strategies, language learning problems, second language learning I. INTRODUCTION Nowadays, it is undeniable that English has played an increasingly important role as the medium of communication among people from different countries; Thailand is no exception (Somsai & Intaraprasert, 2011). Thus, English skills have become essential for Thai students as it is the global language for the dissemination of academic knowledge and it helps transform the educational experience of countless students (Akkakoson, 2012). Therefore, English is not only a subject studied in the classroom, but also a medium for social and practical use (Foley, 2005). Thai students generally encounter problems or difficulties learning English, except those who attend international programs where English is used as the medium of instruction. Non-English major students also have less exposure to English than do students majoring in English. Despite a more or less regular use of the English language both inside and outside the classroom settings, they still encounter problems in their learning and they generally see the limitation of vocabulary knowledge as the first problem to overcome. According to Asgari and Mustapha (2011), this may be because vocabulary has been recognized as crucial to language use in which insufficient vocabulary knowledge of the learners led to difficulties in second language learning. Additionally, mastering vocabulary is one of the most challenging tasks that any learner faces while acquiring another language (Nyikos and Fan, 2007). Wilkins (1972) stated that without grammar, very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary, nothing can be conveyed. As far as the knowledge of vocabulary is concerned in language teaching and learning, it is a truism that vocabulary learning strategies are necessary. This is according to Soureshjani (2011), words are extremely important in language learning because they are the basic building blocks of language and they are the units of meaning from which the larger structures of language such as sentences, paragraphs, and whole texts are formed. Furthermore, various studies have shown that lexical problems frequently interfere with language learning. That is, language learning can be obstructed when learners lack vocabulary knowledge. Therefore, there is an increased interest in vocabulary as an important element of language learning. Over the past few decades, it has been noticed that a number of researchers have shifted their interest from language teaching methods to language learning strategy use. This may be because some learners seem to be successful in language learning regardless of teaching methods (Soureshjani, 2011). Oxford (1990) stated that strategies are important for language learning because they are tools for active, self-directed involvement, which is essential for developing communicative competence (p.1). Then, it is undeniable that language learning strategies have played a vital role in second language learning, as they may assist learners in mastering the forms and functions required for reception and production of the second language and thus affect achievement (Soureshjani, 2011). If learners know more about effective learning strategies, they may use those strategies in their learning to enhance their effectiveness in language skills. Thus, students need to be educated about vocabulary learning strategies. Therefore, vocabulary learning strategies have been brought to the language classroom. According to Dóczi (2011), vocabulary learning strategies are significant because the acquisition of vocabulary is a never-ending process and can solve insurmountable difficulties for language learners. It can be said that through the use of vocabulary learning strategies, learners may be able to maximize the effectiveness of their English language learning. On this basis, it is crucial to be aware of the basics of vocabulary © 2014 ACADEMY PUBLISHER 1102 THEORY AND PRACTICE IN LANGUAGE STUDIES learning strategies and how students adopt the strategies effectively. That is to say, it is vital to gain more insights into how Thai learners perceive the use of vocabulary learning strategies to help them learn vocabulary. II. LITERATURE REVIEW A. The Meaning of ‘Knowing a Word’ What does „knowing a word‟ mean? Does „knowing a word‟ mean being able to recognize its written form and its meaning?