A Survey Study on Students’ Vocabulary Learning in an Indonesian Junior High School

Abstract

This research aims to identify the vocabulary learning strategies used by XI- grade students at a junior high school in Sleman, Yogyakarta while learning

English as a foreign language. This research used a quantitative survey method and data was collected through a questionnaire shared via Google Form Researchers collected data using the Vocabulary Learning Strategy (VLS) as questionnaires called VLQ 6.4, which was developed by Gu (2018), the survey comprised two main sections, one focused on beliefs about vocabulary learning, and vocabulary learning strategies. 91 students participated in this study. Quantitative analysis was conducted on the collected data. Data obtained from a questionnaire consisting of 62 items were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 25. The results indicate that out of the eight strategies, the most frequently used ones are inferencing and using the dictionary strategy. In the vocabulary learning strategy, students extensively utilize information to deduce the meanings of newly encountered vocabulary from sentences or texts as a whole. Meanwhile, the least utilized strategies by students are metacognitive and rehearsal, this results in the students appearing to struggle in mastering newly acquired vocabulary, as well as encountering difficulty in retaining these words through repetitive practice to enhance their understanding. Therefore, students are still developing their vocabulary skills, and it is understandable that they face many challenges because they are still young learners.