字彙策略教學對高中學生字彙學習之效益研究

A Study on the Effects of Vocabulary Learning Strategy Instruction on Vocabulary Learning of Senior High School Students in Taiwan

張秋芸(Chiu-yun Chang)

指導教授 ： 程玉秀

國立臺灣師範大學/文學院/英語學系/碩士(2006年)

摘要

本研究旨在探討字彙策略教學對於高中生，在學習英文詞彙的策略使用、記憶詞彙與動機方面有無顯著效益。為達成研究目的，本實驗設計採取前測、後測、延宕後測，包括一組實驗組和一組控制組。本實驗對象為高雄市某高職綜合高中72位一年級學生。所有受試者依原班級分成實驗組35人與控制組37人。實驗組接受字彙學習策略教導，控制組接受傳統字彙教學法。在教學實驗開始之前，所有的受試者均接受單字程度測試、單字測驗前測(包括回憶單字中文意思與回憶單字的拼法)，以及填寫單字策略使用與學習動機問卷。教學實驗歷時12週，在此期間實驗組學生接受研究者由文獻中所選擇的六種字彙學習策略融入學校英文課程中教導。除了英文課本內的詞彙之外，每週實驗組與控制組學生還需要背誦從補充教材選出的10個字彙。每週研究者要求實驗組的學生利用自我檢核表，來監測及評估應用字彙策略來學習課外10個字的情形；控制組學生則需紀錄他們對於這10個字的精熟程度。教學實驗結束那一週，所有受試者再次填寫單字策略使用與學習動機問卷，及接受單字立即後測。實驗組的學生必須多填寫一份關於此次六種字彙學習策略教學回饋問卷。教學實驗結束四個禮拜過後，所有受試者再次填寫單字策略使用與學習動機問卷，以及接受單字延宕後測。前測、後測與延宕後測問卷題目皆相同；前測、後測與延宕後測的單字測驗題目相同，但是題目順序不同。所蒐集的資料除利用描述性分析之外，還利用一系列的重複量數二因子變異數分析來分析討論。
本研究的結果摘要如下：
1.在六個單字學習策略教學後，實驗組與控制組在全部五十個策略使用精熟度問卷中沒有顯著差異。兩組學生皆偏愛機械式覆誦背單字法，且對於單字卡、字典等學習工具與記憶法的使用不熟練。但是實驗組在對於使用音韻分析來發音背單字，與利用字根分析來背單字及發現字義方面優於控制組。
2.單字策略教學對於增進所教的策略精熟度上並無顯著效果。而且在單字策略教學停止四禮拜後的延宕後測中，實驗組精熟度退步。
3.單字策略教學對於回憶單字中文意思幫助大於回憶單字拼法。在兩次單字理解後測中，實驗組顯著優於控制組；在單字兩次拼寫後測中，實驗組的表現與控制組沒有顯著差異。
4.單字策略訓練對於單字學習動機增長無明顯助益。事實上，實驗組在立即後測中，動機較初試減少；在單字策略教學停止四禮拜後的延宕後測中，實驗組的動機卻上升。
5.實驗組學生對於字彙策略教學抱持肯定的態度，希望有更多相關的練習。經過本次教學之後，他們更體認到單字學習策略的重要性，也知道單字學習是要靠自己長期累積而來。然而，他們也承認，因為自己的惰性妨礙他們使用策略來學習，以及因為上高中之後要學的英文量太大，沒有時間運用策略。
總而言之，本研究顯示：實驗組的學生能從字彙策略教學中受益。然而英文教師仍須耐心地給予學生長時間的策略訓練與可增進學習動機的單字活動，以期他們可以逐漸習慣和熟練單字策略的使用，進而提高學習英文字彙的效益，增進學習英文的信心。

關鍵字

字彙學習 ； 策略教學 ； 動機 ； 策略精熟度

並列摘要

This study aims to explore the effects of vocabulary learning strategy instruction on strategy use, vocabulary learning, and motivation of senior high school students. This study adopted a pretest-immediate posttest-delayed posttest, quasi-experimental design that included both an experimental group (n = 35) and a control group (n = 37) from a senior high school. Six vocabulary learning strategies that have been reported to be effective in previous studies were integrated into teaching of vocabulary in the participants’ English textbook and taught explicitly to the experimental group over a period of 12 weeks. The control group received only conventional teacher-centered instruction of vocabulary. Before the instruction began, both groups took a vocabulary level test to determine each group’s English vocabulary size before the study and serve as a variable to be statistically controlled whenever necessary. A set of vocabulary tests, consisting of both comprehension and production items, were conducted to both groups before, immediately after and four weeks after the instruction. Besides, questionnaires on vocabulary learning strategy use and vocabulary learning motivation were administered to both groups at the same three points of time. The experimental group was required to answer an extra questionnaire on their feedback to the vocabulary strategy instruction. In addition to descriptive statistics, a series of two-way ANOVA repeated measures were used to examine the effects of vocabulary learning strategy instruction on strategy use, learning motivation, and vocabulary learning.
The main findings of the study are summarized as follows:
(1) Vocabulary learning strategy instruction (VLSI) did not benefit the experimental group’s overall mastery over a total of fifty strategy items. The strategies involving verbal rote rehearsal were favored, the use of study aids was disliked, and memory strategies were not mastered well by both groups. However, VLSI helped the experimental group carry out phonological analysis to pronounce a word and word-part analysis to discover the meaning of a word with more mastery than the control group.
(2) VLSI was not effective in increasing mastery over the six types of instructed strategies. Moreover, as VLSI ceased, the experimental group’s mastery decreased.
(3) VLSI benefited the participants more in recalling the meaning than in retrieving the spelling. In vocabulary recognition, the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group in the two posttests. In vocabulary production, by comparison with the control group’s gain, VLSI did not produce a significant effect on the experimental group’s performance in the two posttests.
(4) VLSI showed no positive effect on vocabulary learning motivation. In fact, immediately after VLSI, the experimental group’s motivation decreased while four weeks after VLSI ceased, their motivation increased.
(5) As for the feedback to VLSI, the participants held a positive attitude toward VLSI and expected more exercises for learning strategies. Regarding the difficulties in application of instructed strategies, they admitted that their laziness and a large amount of vocabulary hampered their strategy use.
In conclusion, this study demonstrated that senior high school students benefited from VLSI to some degree. It is suggested that EFL teachers should incorporate VLSI into English teaching, and patiently provide a longer period of strategy training and a variety of motivating vocabulary learning tasks for learners to get accustomed to application of vocabulary learning strategies. In this way, learners may build their lexicon more effectively and boost their confidence in learning English.

並列關鍵字

vocabulary learning ； strategy training ； motivation ； strategy mastery

參考文獻

Yeh, C.-y., & Wang, Y.-h. (2004). An Investigation into vocabulary learning strategies used by senior high school students in Taiwan. Taiwan Journal of TESOL, 1(2), 1-44.

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